Trump administration sending armored vehicles for Syria opposition

The US has provided a Syria militant group with armored vehicles in defiance of warnings that the equipment may end up in the hands of Takfiri terrorists waging a campaign of death in the Arab country.

According to Press TV, the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a multi-ethnic anti-government alliance, said on Tuesday that the contingent had arrived in the Arab country without elaborating on the exact number of the armored vehicles.

"American armored vehicles have arrived for the Syrian Democratic Forces for the first time. This happened after the new US administration came to power," said SDF Spokesman, Talal Sello.

The administration of US President Donald Trump has taken the decision to supply the SDF with the vehicles, Sello said, adding, "Before we used to receive light weapons, ammunition.... With these armored vehicles we've entered a new phase in the [US] support. It's a sign."

The official further noted that the SDF had held meetings with representatives of the new US government, “who had promised … extra support" for the militant group.

Meanwhile, Washington confirmed that it had for the first time supplied armored Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to the SDF’s Arab component, known as the Syrian Arab Coalition.

"The decision was made by military commanders and has been in the works for some time," said US Military Spokesman, Colonel John Dorrian.

Founded in October 2015, the US-backed SDF is comprised mostly of Syrian Kurds, numbering at least 25,000.

Washington has been sponsoring anti-Damascus groups operating in Syria by labeling them as moderate militants.

Earlier this month, General Carlton Everhart, a commander of the Air Mobility Command, said that the US Air Force was increasing airdrops of weapons, ammunition and other equipment to militant groups closing in on the Daesh-held Syrian city of Raqqah.

ME