Residents of seven localities in Syria's Deir ez-Zor province, located in the eastern part of the country, staged a protest against the presence of US and Turkish forces. The demonstration, reported by the Syrian news agency SANA on Wednesday, took place near the Al-Salihiyah bridge, "just a few meters away from areas under US control." Participants in the protest carried Syrian flags and placards condemning the occupation of Syrian territories and expressing support for the Syrian government forces.
Governor Fadel Najjar of Deir ez-Zor province expressed hope for the swift liberation of all Syrian lands and called for the prosecution of those involved in the crimes committed against the Syrian people.
Currently, the majority of the eastern and northeastern Syrian provinces, including Al Hasakah, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa, are under the control of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the United States. Since 2015, the US has established nine military bases in the region, with a primary objective of maintaining control over the oil fields in the northeast and east of the country. In late 2019, then-US President Donald Trump approved a plan for several hundred US troops to remain in Syria.
Turkey, on the other hand, has conducted three military operations in northern Syria since 2017, known as "Euphrates Shield," "Olive Branch" and "Peace Spring." These operations resulted in the creation of a security buffer zone between the cities of Azaz and Jarabulus north of Aleppo, the occupation of Afrin, and the Turkish control of border areas east of the Euphrates River.
The Syrian government considers the presence of both US and Turkish military forces on Syrian territory as an illegal occupation.
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Photo: Master Sgt. Christopher DeWitt/Creative Commons 2.0
Based on materials from TASS