© Valeriy Sharifulin/TASSThe remaining IS militants have been using the area as a place to regroup and prepare for new raids in the Syrian desert
"The United States' illegal military presence in Syria remains a serious challenge hampering efforts to promote the peace process, maintain Syria's unity and territorial integrity," she said.
"The remaining IS militants have been using the 55 kilometer zone that the Americans unilaterally set up around their military base near Al-Tanf to escape from the pursuit of Syrian government troops, regroup and prepare for new raids in the Syrian desert," the Russian diplomat noted.
"IS militants feel at ease in the Al-Tanf area. In the past, they carried out raids as far as the Aleppo province," she added.
Comment: The US has been called out on its blatant attempt to seize a huge portion of sovereign Syrian territory and that it has been using ISIS as its proxy army to achieve this aim:
- From Afrin to Ankara: How US went from supporting Syrian Kurds, to backing Turkey against them - in just 9 daysAgent of chaos: Washington provokes Turkey, widens war in Syria
- Illegal US 'airbase' three times the size of Lebanon being set up in Syria
- The US' Kurd Project: Iranian intel declassifies data on 14 American bases in Syria
- France hypocritically condemns Turkish operations in Syria
Also check out SOTT radio's: Behind the Headlines: Turkey Launches Military Operation Against Syrian Kurdish 'Rebels'