Three years after withdrawal | US forces prepare to announce their first military base in Al-Raqqah
Al-Raqqah province: SOHR sources have reported that the US forces are preparing for announcing their first military base in Al-Raqqah, after having withdrawn from the province over three years, during “peace Spring” operation in 2019. This comes after the US forces had established military barracks and airstrip in the former post of the 17th Division near Al-Raqqah city in November. The presence of US forces in the past period has been confined to the centre of the CIA in Al-Tabaqah city.
Reliable SOHR sources have reported that Washington is preparing a new military base in Al-Raqqah city centre, specifically near the new bridge of Al-Rashid at the southern entrance of the city.
Moreover, US forces ran a military patrol on Tuesday in the area of Tariq Abyad nearly 25 kilometres to the east of Al-Raqqah.
Also, a US patrol toured the city yesterday, while raising the USA flag for the first time, where military and intelligence patrols had toured in Al-Raqqah without raising the USA flag.
On December 19, SOHR activists reported that the US forces were establishing centres in Al-Raqqah inside military barracks that were abandoned by regime forces years earlier. According to reliable SOHR sources, the US forces supervised the establishment of helipad and a military centre inside the “17th Division”, where SDF members are stationed. Moreover, the US forces were working in complete secrecy, where the US flags were removed after they were raised inside the military barracks, for unknown reasons.