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US Forces Block Another Russian Convoy as Tensions Rise in Northeast Syria

Zana Omar

   HASAKAH, SYRIA / WASHINGTON - U.S. forces in northeast Syria
   againprevented Russian military convoys from touring near the Iraqi
   border on Friday, in what locals describedas an increased escalation
   between both sides over freedom of navigation in the predominantly
   Kurdish region.

   A VOA reportersawAmerican Humveespatrollingthe main road of
   al-Malikiyah town, also known as Derik, in northeast Hasakah province,
   in what local sources said wasan effortto prevent an approaching
   Russian convoy from passingbythe region.

   The sources said the disputewas over the control of M4 highway,
   al-Malikiyah and Tall Tamr areas that became a dividing line between
   the two sides following the October 2019 Turkish incursion that forced
   the U.S. to pull out from much oftheTurkey-northeast Syria
   borderregion.

   "I see [U.S. and Russian forces] a lot on these roads. They have their
   own disputes. They block roads here and there. For example, inXanaSere
   village and in Derik," a resident of al-Malikiyah, whofor security
   reasonsdid not want to be named,told VOA.

   Earlier encounter

   Thiswas not the first time U.S. forces hadencountered Russian patrols
   in the area.

   Nishan Mohammad, a local reporter, last week told VOA hesawat least
   three similar standoffsin which U.S. soldiers stopped Russian military
   vehicles and forced them to head back to their bases.

   Contacted by VOA, Syrian Democratic Forcesofficials declined to comment
   on the matter, citing the sensitivity of the issue.

   The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported Wednesday
   that U.S. troopshadblocked a Russian convoy from al-Kharita village in
   Hasakah road heading toward JabalQazuzana.

   The observatory reported that on the same day,a group of Russian forces
   from Tall Tamr was heading to Hasakah, only to be barred from further
   advancing by U.S. troops near a U.S. base intheal-Wazirarea.

   SDF intervenes

   "Verbal altercations took place between both forces and evolved into
   raising weapons, but the SyrianDemocratic Forces intervened as a
   mediator between them," the watchdog group said, adding that Russian
   forces have deployed advanced air defense missile systems at
   al-Qamishli Airbase in the far northeast as both sides try to extend
   control over the area.

   U.S. forces were in control of most of northeast Syria until October,
   whentheTurkish military and its allied Syrian militants launched a
   campaign againsttheU.S.-backed SDF. Since then, Russian forces and the
   Syrian government have entered the border region between Turkey and
   northeast Syria with the aim of filling the area evacuated by the U.S.

   There are still about 500 troops in the area who, according to
   U.S.officials, are protecting the region's oil fields and preventing
   Islamic State from reemerging.

   VOA'sSirwanKajjo contributed to this story from Washington.

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