Syrian army seizes oil and gas fields, forces loses territory

Syrian government forces have seized two strategically significant energy installations, the Omar oil field, and the Conoco gas field, in a sweeping advance against U.S.-backed Kurdish-led forces in the eastern Deir Zor province, according to officials and security sources, reported Al-Monitor via Reuters on January 18th.

The operation unfolded as allied Arab tribal fighters pushed deeper into the oil‑rich belt running along the Iraqi border, dramatically shifting control in one of Syria’s most contested regions.

The Omar oil field, the largest in Syria, and the nearby Conoco gas facility lie east of the Euphrates River, an area long administered by the Kurdish‑led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). These fields have served as a crucial financial lifeline for the SDF, which has relied on oil revenues to sustain its governance structures and military operations.

Officials described the takeover as a major setback for the group.

Despite repeated calls from the United States urging the Syrian government to halt its advance, the Syrian army was committed to pushing into the predominantly Arab areas of northeast Syria that have been under SDF control since the defeat of the Islamic State group.

A government source said Kurdish‑led forces were overwhelmed after Arab tribal fighters spearheaded the offensive, enabling government troops and their tribal allies to secure more than 150 kilometres of territory along the eastern bank of the Euphrates. The newly captured stretch runs from Baghouz, near the Iraqi frontier, toward key towns such as al‑Shuhail and Busayra.

The momentum continued late on January 18th, when Syrian forces took control of the northern city of Tabqa, its adjacent dam, and the major Freedom Dam, formerly known as the Baath Dam, west of Raqqa, marking some of the most significant territorial gains.

Syrian Kurdish authorities have not publicly acknowledged the loss of these critical locations, and it remains unclear whether clashes are still ongoing in parts of the region.

Al-Monitor via Reuters, Maghrebi.org