Illustrative image. (Credit: U.S. Army)
The US-led coalition had established a new base near the village of Naqara in the northern countryside of Syria’s al-Hasakah, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on September 3.
Naqara is located more than three kilometers to the southwest of the border town of al-Qamishli, which split between the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces and Syrian government forces.
From the new base, the US-led coalition will be able to keep a close eye on the nearby al-Qamishli Airport, where a sizable Russian force is present. Over the last few years, the Russian military deployed radars, air-defense systems, fighter jets, helicopters and other military equipment in the airport, de-facto turning it into its main base in northeastern Syria.
Naqara base is the US-led coalition’s third base around al-Qamishli. The two other bases are located near the village of Himo, some four kilometers to the northeast of al-Qamishli, and on al-Faris hill, three kilometers to the southwest of the town.
The US-led coalition have been expanding its presence in northeastern Syria by establishing new bases and deploying more equipment, including heavy weapons, since the beginning of the year. Officially, the US claims that it has less than a 1,000 troops in the war-torn country. However, Washington lied about the real number of its troops there in the past.
Damascus and its allies have been growing frustrated with the US-led coalition rapid expansion in northeastern Syria. Attacks on coalition bases in the region surged this year.
