U.S Army Soldiers with Battery C, 1st Battalion, 320th Field Artillery Regiment, Task Force Strike, load a round into M777 artillery piece to support the Iraqi security forces during the Mosul counter offensive, Dec. 24, 2016. (U.S. Army photo by 1st Lt. Daniel Johnson)
On December 2, the US-led coalition conducted a live-fire exercise at al-Omar oil fields in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor in northeastern Syria, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The London-based monitoring group said that the coalition’s artillery fired at least ten rounds during the exercise. Several flares were also spotted over coalition positions in the oil fields.
It worth noting that a day earlier a large supply convoy was spotted heading to the US-led coalition’s main base in al-Omar oil fields.
قافلة لقوات #التحالف_الدولي تدخل إلى الطريق المؤدية لحقل العمر النفطي بريف ديرالزور الشرقي ، صباح اليوم الثلاثاء 30.11.2021.
القافلة بحماية المدرعات العسكرية والطيران المروحي التابع للتحالف الدولي.#صدى_الشرقية#ديرالزور@liveuamap pic.twitter.com/wk2Eps5WAS
— Sada AlSharqieh (@Sada_AlSharqieh) November 30, 2021
Last year, the US Army deployed a number of M777 howitzers in northeastern Syria to support its proxy, the Syrian Democratic Forces. The howitzer has an effective firing range of up to 40 km and can fire GPS-guided munitions and white phosphorus shells.
US-led coalition positions in al-Omar oil fields came under attack on several occasions in the last few months. Iranian-backed forces were allegedly behind the attacks.
Furthermore, an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet of the US Air Force shot down an Iranian drone over the oil fields more than three months ago.
The US-led coalition, who is reportedly planning to stay in northeastern Syria for the long term, is apparently training to deal with the growing threats in the region. Just a day earlier, a supply convoy of the coalition came under attack in the northeastern countryside of al-Hasakah.
