The U.S.-led coalition and its proxy, the Revolutionary Commando Army (MaT), have conducted live drills in the 55-km area surrounding the al-Tanaf base in southeastern Syria.
The MaT released on April 29 a video showing a M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) of the coalition conducting a live-fire exercise as a part of the drills.
“Accurate hits were achieved during the joint exercises at the al-Tanaf base on the use of HIMARS rockets, in the course of our operations to defeat ISIS,” the U.S.-backed group said in a short press release.
اصابات دقيقة تم تحقيقها اثناء #التدريبات_المشتركة في قاعدة #التنف على استخدام #صواريخ #الهايمرز ،وذلك خلال عملياتنا #لدحر_داعش #سوريا #مخيم_الركبان#ISIS. #Syria #Rukban #Daesh @OIRSpox @SOJTFOIR @CJTFOIR pic.twitter.com/7fcXG6RoJz
— مغاوير الثورة (@MaghaweirThowra) April 29, 2020
The U.S.-led coalition and the MaT conducted several similar live-fire drills in al-Tanaf during the last year. While the drills are promoted as a part of the campaign against ISIS, they appear to be meant to deter Damascus and its allies.
Around 200 U.S. service members and 300 fighters of the MaT are now stationed in the al-Tanaf base that is blocking a highway linking Damascus and the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.
Earlier this month, U.S.-led coalition forces in al-Tanaf faced a blow when 27 fighters of the MaT defected and escaped to government-held areas. The fighters handed over U.S.-supplied weapons to Syrian authorities.
What a fruitless waste of money when American are dying by the thousands from the virus. US wrong priorities are destroying it. It needs to leave Syria alone.