The United States will strengthen its military presence in Syria to prevent ISIS fighters from accessing oil fields and revenue, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper said on Friday.
“The United States will maintain a reduced presence in Syria to deny ISIS access to oil revenue,” Esper told a news conference at NATO, referring to Islamic State militants, saying the steps would include “some “mechanized forces” in Deir al-Zor, Syria’s oil region, east of the Euphrates.
He also said Turkey had captured some escaped militants.