Russian Forces Capture American Military Base Near Syria’s Aleppo

As Syrian and allied Russian forces continue to expand their control over territory formerly held by Islamist insurgent groups within the country, and advance northwards towards the Turkish border, Russian Military Police have reportedly recovered an American military base near the city of Aleppo. Russian broadcaster Zvezda has published footage of Mi-35M helicopters arriving at the facility and disembarking officers from the Military Police. Initial assessments indicate American personnel were forced to leave in a hurry, leaving food and personal items behind.

The Sirrin base was one of the largest held by the U.S. in the country - although newer and largest facilities are reportedly currently being built in Syria’s northeast regions near the Iraqi border. The American military presence remains illegal under international law since it manifested without permission from either Damascus or the United Nations Security Council. The U.S. and the vast majority of Western states have ceded formal recognition to the Syrian government and openly called for regime change, with the U.S. most recently staking a claim to valuable oil fields in Syria's northeastern regions intending to use revenue from these to fund anti government militias.