Attack targets US convoy in Deir ez-Zor during joint patrol with SDF
DEIR EZ-ZOR, Syria (North Press) – Armed assailants targeted on Saturday a U.S. military convoy while it was conducting a joint patrol with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor, eastern Syria, local sources reported.
Sources told North Press that the attackers opened fire on the U.S. vehicles near al-Masri village, north of al-Busayrah town in the east of Deir ez-Zor. The convoy returned fire using the mounted machine guns on its vehicles.
The assailants were reportedly hiding in a nearby field along the patrol route.
A U.S. Coalition official accused cells affiliated with the Islamic State (ISIS) of carrying out the attack and said that an investigation into the incident has been launched.
Despite previous withdrawals from some Coalition bases in eastern Deir ez-Zor, patrols by U.S. forces continue regularly across the area.
Since the U.S.-led Global Coalition began operations in Syria, eastern Deir ez-Zor has remained a hotspot for insurgent activity, particularly by remnants of ISIS. Despite the territorial defeat of ISIS, the group continues to carry out sporadic attacks, including ambushes, roadside explosives, and targeted assaults on military convoys.
Coalition forces, often operating alongside the SDF, maintain patrols in key areas to prevent resurgences and secure vital infrastructure, but these operations regularly encounter armed resistance.
Attacks on convoys, like the one near al-Masri village, highlight the ongoing risk faced by the Coalition forces and underscore the fragile security environment in this strategic region.
Reporting by Hoshang Hassan