Green Berets and their partner force, the Maghaweir al-Thowra (MaT), during a joint patrol mission near At-Tanf Garrison, Syria, April 29, 2020.(U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. William Howard)
The United States-led coalition and its proxy, the Army of Free Syria (AFS) had held a joint exercise at al-Tanf garrison in southeastern Syria.
On December 18, the AFS, previously known as Maghaweir al-Thowra, shared photos from the exercise which including live firing from heavy machine guns, anti-tank recoilless rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
Click to see full-size image. Via Twitter.
The U.S.-led coalition said on December 20 that the live-fire exercise was meant to deter ISIS and what it described as “adversaries.”
Around 200 U.S. troops are usually deployed in al-Tanf. The coalition maintains a 55-kilometers around the garrison, which blocks a strategic highway between the Syrian capital, Damascus, and the Iraqi capital, Baghdad.
“Working and training together, coalition and out AFS partners present a strong and unified front that is capable of deterring threats from ISIS and adversaries to protect the people within the 55-kilometer DCZ [deconfliction zone], including IDPs [internally displaced people] in Rukban camp, while also promoting regional stability,” the coalition said on Twitter.
The U.S.-led coalition have been working to reactivate its proxies in al-Tanf for a while now. In September, the coalition appointed a new radical leader for its proxies in the garrison, then went on to reorganize and rebrand them. Later in October, the coalition approved a plan to boost their ranks with more than 2,000 new militants.
These moves coincided with an increase in attacks against Syrian government forces deployed around the around al-Tanf 55-kilometer zone.
There are no signs of any near confrontation around al-Tanf. However, the situation in the area remains unstable, mainly due to the military activities of the U.S.-led coalition.
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