ISIS carries out attacks from US-controlled area near Al-Tanf base – Russian MoD

Unlawful establishment by the US of this military base on Syria-Jordan border in April this year has been publicly justified by ‘the need to conduct operations against IS,’” the statement reads.

However, “there were no reports of a single American operation against Islamic State during the six months of its existence,” The Russian Defense Ministry said.

“Though the Pentagon repeatedly claimed that the base is used to train the so-called ‘New Syrian Army’ by the coalition instructors from the US, the UK and Norway,” it has become “a 100-kilometer black hole” on the Syria-Jordan border, the statement added.

The ministry also accused the US of not letting humanitarian convoys through the area to reach the Rukban refugee camp, which is located close to the base.

The camp is reportedly hosting around 60,000 women and children from Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor.

The refugees in Rukban serve as a “human shield” for the American base, the ministry’s spokesman, Major-General Igor Konashenkov, said.

This is not the first time the defense ministry has accused the US of siding with terrorist groups. In late September, the Russian military released aerial images purportedly showing American hardware and equipment in the area north of Deir ez-Zor, controlled by IS.

The images “clearly show that US special ops are stationed at the outposts previously set up by ISIS militants,” it said.

Though the US outposts are located in IS-controlled areas, “no screening patrol has been organized at them,” which could indicate the US troops “feel absolutely safe” in the area held by the terrorists, the defense ministry said.

RT + Mod