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On November 5, a large US military convoy entered the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanf where Washington maintains a garrison, according to the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).
“A convoy of US occupation forces consisting of 26 vehicles and trucks loaded with weapons, ammunition and logistic equipment entered the US occupation garrison in al-Tanf area over the last few hours,” a source based in al-Tanf told the state-run agency.
According to the SANA’s source, this was the largest US supply convoy to enter al-Tanf garrison from neighboring Jordan in the last few years.
Some 200 US troops are usually deployed in al-Tanf garrison that was established in 2016 to block a strategic highway that links the Syrian capital, Damascus, with Baghdad, the capital of Iraq. The US maintains a 55 kilometers no-fly, no-drive zone around the garrison.
On October 20, al-Tanf came under attack. The garrison was targeted with five suicide drones and indirect fire. The attack resulted in some serious material damage. However, there were no casualties. The US withdrew all of its troops from the garrison before the attack after receiving an early warning. Iran was unofficially blamed for the attack.
US troops are now apparently back in al-Tanf. Washington may be working to reinforce the garrison in order to face any future attacks by Iran and its allies in Syria and Iraq.
