Trump: US will not allow Daesh take Syria oil fields

US President Donald Trump on Thursday vowed to not allow a “reconstituted” Daesh to take over oil fields in northern Syria.

“The Oil Fields discussed in my speech on Turkey/Kurds yesterday were held by ISIS until the United States took them over with the help of the Kurds. We will NEVER let a reconstituted ISIS have those fields!” said Trump on Twitter, using another name for the Daesh terror group, Anadolu Agency reports.

On Wednesday, Trump said Washington will keep “a small number” of US troops will remain in Syria “where they have the oil.”

The president did not specify where the troops would be stationed, nor how many he is considering, but said “we’re going to be protecting” the oil. “And we’ll be deciding what we’re going to do with it in the future.”

In his tweet, he said he had a conversation with YPG commander Mazloum Abdi and signalled advance of the YPG toward the oil fields without elaborating.

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“I really enjoyed my conversation with General @MazloumAbdi. He appreciates what we have done, and I appreciate what the Kurds have done. Perhaps it is time for the Kurds to start heading to the Oil Region!” Trump wrote.

On Oct. 9, Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria east of the Euphrates River to secure Turkey’s borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees and ensure Syria’s territorial integrity.

Erdogan and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, held a meeting Tuesday in the Black Sea resort town of Sochi just hours before the pause was set to expire.

Ankara and Moscow reached a deal under which the YPG will pull back 30 kilometres south of Turkey’s border with northern Syria within 150 hours and security forces from Turkey and Russia will conduct joint patrols there.

Turkey considers the YPG to be linked to the PKK, and both as terrorist organisations.