Watch US Armored Convoy Retreat As Syrian Army Threatens Fire In Tense Standoff

Though long off the media’s radar, it remains that a thousand or more US troops are still occupying northeast Syria’s oil rich region, provoking multiple recent dangerous “close call” near-clashes with Syrian and Russian troops who are also patrolling a region considered sovereign Syrian soil.

The latest tense encounter this week as a US military convoy came upon a check point manned by Syrian Army soldiers and pro-Assad militia almost resulted in a direct clash.

Video shows Syrian soldiers halting the US-flagged patrol unit, consisting of three armored vehicles, demanding that they turn back. At one point a Syrian soldier even approaches the doors of the lead American vehicle and is seen waiving his Kalashnikov point-blank at the driver side windows (at 3:40 mark below). 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fxeilb9oDE]

The convoy then promptly initiates a U-turn and heads in the opposite direction, likely given it was clear that the Syrian soldiers were ready to engage.

“Run baby, run!” the cameraman is heard saying. The incident reportedly took place in western Hasakah along the M-4 highway. The Americans were apparently trying to access a key bridge along the strategic road.

Syrian state media outlet SANA published photos of the encounter, claiming it as a victory against the “US occupation in the village of Mansaf Tahtani” which “forced them to return to their illegal bases.”

In of the official photos released by SANA, a Syrian soldier is seen brandishing a rocket-propelled grenade while walking toward the retreating convoy.

It’s but another reminder that the war in Syria is far from finally settled, though Assad is in form control of most of the country.

Though brief, there’s a rare moment a Syrian soldier points his rifle directly at US troops inside the Army vehicle.

There’s clearly still the potential for major war to erupt once again given the significant presence of US forces in Syria’s most oil-rich area.

Both Damascus and Moscow have repeatedly demanded all American forces leave Syria immediately, and have at times threatened use of force to make that happen, though to some degree an unspoken ‘status quo’ has remained, preventing outright gunfights among major powers on the ground.