DAMASCUS, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. forces are consolidating their positions in the eastern Euphrates river region in Syria, a war monitor reported on Saturday.
The U.S. forces are planning to enforce its positions in the al-Jazra base, the largest base controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) on the outskirts of Raqqa province, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The UK-based watchdog group said the U.S. forces are being sent on secret visits to the base to claim it from the SDF.
Meanwhile, the U.S. forces have also tasked the SDF fighters with protecting oil plants in the eastern Euphrates river region.
The U.S. forces and the SDF control areas in the eastern Euphrates and in Raqqa, as both have fought the Islamic State (IS) and captured many areas from the group.
The Syrian government has for long slammed the presence of the U.S. forces in northeastern Syria, branding them "forces of occupation."
