Page 11 - ARUBA TODAY

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WORLD NEWS Monday 11 SepteMber 2017

Syrian army in race with US-armed fighters for eastern Syria

media reported. had captured the prov- to march toward Deir el-
The troops’ arrival to Deir ince’s Taym oil field from IS Zour, but their plans were
el-Zour city brings Syrian militants on Saturday. disrupted in June when
forces and their allies a step Washington has been de- Syrian troops reached the
closer to controlling the oil- termined to block the for- border with Iraq, obstruct-
rich eastern province and mation of an “Iranian cor- ing their path. The only way
its capital bordering Iraq, ridor” — of Shiite-controlled left for the SDF to enter the
a major boost for Tehran’s land stretching from Teh- eastern province appears
growing influence in the ran to Damascus — and to be from the northeast-
area. The region has some for months has been eye- ern province of Hassakeh,
of Syria’s largest oil fields, ing the area southeast of where Syrian activists say
whose revenue is vital to Raqqa near the Iraqi bor- the U.S.-backed fighters
the state’s dried coffers. der. U.S.-backed Syrian have been gathering and
Syria’s military command rebels had been gathering stepping up preparations
announced Saturday they in Tanf in southeastern Syria for an attack.q
In this July 22, 2017 photo, Arab and Kurdish fighters with the
U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), pose for a picture
as they prepare to move to the front line to battle against the
Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, northeast Syria.
(AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
By BASSEM MROUE States or Russia and Iran will
Associated Press have more influence in the
BEIRUT (AP) — U.S.-backed strategic area once the ex-
Syrian fighters launched an tremist group is defeated.
offensive against the Islam- Iran has been one of Presi-
ic State group in eastern dent Bashar Assad’s stron-
Syria along the border with gest backers since the crisis
Iraq on Saturday, bringing began in March 2011 and
them into a race with gov- has sent thousands of Ira-
ernment forces marching in nian-backed fighters and
the same direction against advisers to fight against in-
the extremists in their last surgent groups trying to re-
major holdout in the war- move him from power.
torn country. The U.S.-backed fight-
The dueling battles for Deir ers are up against a huge
el-Zour highlight the impor- challenge to reach Deir
tance of the oil-rich east- el-Zour, especially while
ern province, which has they are still fighting to lib-
become the latest focus erate Raqqa from IS. Three
of the international war months into the battle, they
against the Islamic State have liberated around 60
group, raising concerns of percent of the city, and
an eventual clash between much more difficult urban
the two sides. fighting still lies ahead.
The U.S.-trained Deir el- This week, Syrian troops
Zour Military Council said and their Iranian-backed
it was calling its operation allies reached Deir el-Zour,
Jazeera Storm, after the breaking a nearly three-
familiar name for northeast year-old IS siege on govern-
Syria. The Military Council is ment-held parts of the city
a part of the predominant- in a major breakthrough in
ly-Kurdish Syrian Demo- their offensive against IS. In
cratic Forces, which enjoys a victory statement, the Syr-
broad U.S. military support. ian military said Deir el-Zour
The SDF are the U.S.’s pri- will be used as a launching
mary ally in the fight against pad to liberate the remain-
IS in Syria. ing IS-held areas along the
The race to reach the Iraqi border with Iraq.
border will shape future Pro-government forces
regional dynamics, deter- broke the siege of the city’s
mining whether the United airport on Saturday, state