PKK/PYD captures second-largest oilfield in Syria

By Mohamad Misto, Adham Kako, Levent Tok

DEIR EZ-ZOR/ANKARA

The PKK/PYD terrorist group captured Syria's al-Tanak oilfield, the second largest in the country, located in Deir ez-Zor province, local sources told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

The PKK/PYD, backed by the U.S., began advancing against Daesh terror group in the northern and eastern rural areas of Deir ez-Zor on Sept. 9.

According to the information obtained from the local sources, the terror group PKK/PYD captured Al-Tanak oilfield located 35 kilometers (22 miles) east of Syria's Deir ez-Zor city center, which is near Syria-Iraq border.

In September, PKK/PYD had captured the most productive oilfields in Deir ez-Zor, including Al-Omar, Jafra, and Conoco plant.

According to the map area measurements of Anadolu Agency, PKK/PYD currently controls approximately 25% percent of Syrian territories.

Many of Syria’s most productive oilfields -- including the Al-Omar, Tanak, Ward, Afra, Kewari, Jafra, Jarnuf, Azrak, Kahar, Sueytat and Galban fields -- are located east of the Euphrates River.

Together, these strategic oilfields are estimated to account for roughly one-third of Syria’s total energy production.

The Daesh terror group, which held these fields for some three years, earned millions of dollars in revenue from the oil and gas they produced.

The Turkish government considers the PYD/YPG to be the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization by Turkey and the U.S.

Yet despite the PKK’s terrorist activities, the U.S. has continued to support the PYD and YPG in the fight against Daesh.

For more than 30 years, the PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey leading to the deaths of more than 40,000 security forces and civilians -- including more than 1,200 since July 2015 alone.