On July 5 , the US-led coalition and its Syrian proxies conducted night live drills in the 55km de-esclation zone around the southeastern Syrian area of al-Tanaf.
“The Revolutionary Commando Army, alongside with coalition forces, is conducting successful training and no one has been hurt during the training. training aim to refine their skills to defeat a Daesh [ISIS] and ensure they do not return to the 55k area,” the Revolutionary Commando Army said in a short press release.
The US-backed group also released several photos of the drills, showing the coalition’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) conducting a live firing exercise.
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Around 200 U.S. service members and 300 fighters of the Revolutionary Commando Army are currently stationed in the al-Tanaf base, which is located on a strategic highway linking the Iraqi capital of Baghdad with Damascus.
Earlier this year, the US-led coalition held several similar drills in al-Tanaf. The coalition claimed that these drills were aimed at countering ISIS. However, local observers believe that U.S. forces are trying to deter Damascus and its allies, which stepped up their military presence around the border area.
