Syrian army checkpoint intercepts US military convoy in oil-rich Hasakah

A Syrian army checkpoint has blocked a US military convoy that was attempting to pass through the northeastern province of Hasakah, forcing it to retreat.

Local sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Syria’s official news agency SANA that a US convoy consisting of five vehicles was forced to make a U-turn after the checkpoint personnel intercepted it at the village of Qabr al-Gharajeneh in Qamishli city in Hasakah on Friday.

Hasakah has been the scene of several incidents of US military convoys being forced to change route or retreat. 

People in Hasakah have blocked roads in a show of seething resentment over the presence of American troops in their region.

On March 21, local residents of several neighboring villages in the oil-rich province of Hasakah joined forces with government troops to block a US military convoy attempting to pass through the community.

Syrian govt. forces, locals block US convoy in oil-rich Hasakah, force it to turn back

Syrian army forces and local residents block a US military convoy in the country’s northeastern oil-rich province of Hasakah, forcing it to turn back.

The US convoy, consisting of six armored vehicles, was forced to turn around and head back in the direction it came from after locals of the villages of Qabr al-Saghir and Qabr al-Gharajeneh as well as government troops blocked the road and prevented its movement. No injuries were reported.

Similarly, a US military convoy was forced to retreat from an area in the same province on Wednesday.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria. The Pentagon claims the deployment is aimed at preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists. Damascus says the deployment is meant to plunder Syria’s rich mineral resources.

Former US President Donald Trump admitted on more than one occasion that American forces were in Syria for its oil.

After failing to oust the Syrian government through militant proxies and direct involvement in the conflict, Washington stepped up its economic war on the Arab country.

‘Disgusting hypocrisy’

Meanwhile, Abdulhameed Dashti, the president of the International Council for Supporting Fair Trial and Human Rights (ICSFT), has condemned the “hypocrisy” of countries that continue aggression against Syria.

In a speech at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on Friday, Dashti said the “disgusting hypocrisy” practiced by those and their hostile recommendations against the people of the Arab country harm the credibility of international law.

He also praised the Syrian government for its tremendous efforts to ensure a decent livelihood for its citizens despite the high costs of the war and the impact of the unilateral economic sanctions.

Dashti said the report submitted by the Syrian delegation to the UNHRC confirms the Syrian government’s work to ensure a decent life for its citizens after it has restored security and basic services to all liberated provinces despite the challenges it is facing. The Syrian government has performed its duty to protect its sovereignty and independence, in addition to confronting terrorist groups and seeking to liberate its entire territory from the Turkish, Israeli, and US occupation forces, he added.

Dashti said the United States, Israel, and Turkey presented politically motivated allegations against Syria. He also called for facilitating the return of all Syrian refugees to their homeland.

Syria and the Israeli regime are technically at war due to the latter’s 1967-present occupation of Syria’s Golan Heights. The regime's attacks on Syria have grown significantly in scale and frequency after 2011 when Syria found itself in the grip of foreign-backed terrorism.

Turkey has also been conducting several incursions against neighboring Syria’s northern parts since 2016 to fight back against Kurdish militants known as the People’s Protection Units (YPG).

Syria warns of dire situation in northern areas, says Turkey after ethnic cleansing there

Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mikdad says the situation in occupied northern areas is “on verge of a catastrophe” and that Turkey is after committing ethnic cleansing there.

Ankara associates the YPG with the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorist group, which has been fighting a deadly separatist war against Turkey for decades.

So far, Turkey has deployed thousands of troops in the areas, in what Damascus has decried as an outright violation of its sovereignty.

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