WASHINGTON — U.S.-backed Syrian fighters operating out of a small U.S. garrison called Tanf killed more than 20 Islamic State fighters and captured several others on Wednesday.
This is the second time in less than a month that ISIS fighters have threatened the small U.S. outpost near the Iraq-Syria border, which houses American commandos who are training and advising vetted Syrian opposition fighters known as the Maghawir al-Thawra.
American officials took a jab at Russian and Syrian regime forces operating in the vicinity of Tanf on Thursday after the incident.
“The Daesh terrorists freely moved through an area controlled by pro-Syrian regime forces,” a press release from Operation Inherent Resolve said. “This is the second time in less than a month that convoys of Daesh terrorists, fleeing the middle Euphrates River valley, transited through regime-controlled territory.”
“Despite the presence of Russian-backed, pro-Syrian regime forces in the area, Daesh still finds ways to move freely through the regime lines and pose a threat, said Brig. Gen. John Braga, director of operations for Operation Inherent Resolve.
RELATED
Pro-Syrian regime forces currently surround the U.S. garrison, complicating anti-ISIS operations for the U.S.-backed fighters at the garrison. Those Syrian forces are situated outside a 55-kilometer bubble that extends around the outpost.
The region around Tanf has been hotly contested. During the summer, U.S. forces struck pro-regime Syrian forces on several occasions after they encroached on the established deconfliction zone around the base. One of those occasions included the downing of an Iranian Shahed 129 drone.
RELATED
Shawn Snow is the senior reporter for Marine Corps Times and a Marine Corps veteran.
