File image.
On January 3, Syrian Arab Army (SAA) troops and local government supporters intercepted a convoy of the US-led coalition in the northern countryside of al-Hasakah.
According to the Syrian state TV, the coalition’s convoy, which consisted of five armored vehicles, was stopped near the town of al-Salihiyah then forced to retreat.
The convoy was escorted by two fully-armed AH-64 Apache attack helicopters. The helicopters made several law-passes over al-Salihiyah in what was likely an attempt to intimidate SAA troops and the locals. However, they didn’t back down.
حاجز لأبطال الجيش العربي السوري بالتعاون مع الأهالي يعترضون رتلاً للمحــ.ــتل الأمريكي يضم 5 مدرعات عسكـ.ـرية بتغطية من مروحيتين حاول المرور قرب قرية الصالحية بريف #القامشلي يوم أمس وأجبروه على التراجع. pic.twitter.com/1mWCWejWi8
— درعا نت (@daraa_net_2020) January 3, 2022
This was the first such encounter in northeastern Syria this year. Last year, many similar encounters were reported. In December alone, more than a dozen US-led coalition convoys were intercepted by SAA troops and government supporters in the northern and eastern countryside of al-Hasakah.
The SAA and government supporters are apparently attempting to restrict the movement of US-led coalition forces in the countryside of al-Hasakah.
Last year, the US-led coalition expanded its presence in al-Hasakah and Deir Ezzor, especially in key oil and gas fields, under the pretext of fighting ISIS.
