Anadolu said that the convoy included dozens of soldiers and 20 military vehicles. It left Erbil on Saturday and is expected to enter Syria through the Semalka border crossing.

A similar convoy entered Syria in October through the Kurdistan Region’s Semalka border crossing.

US Defense Secretary Mark Esper said earlier this year that the US would strengthen its military presence in Syria to prevent Islamic State fighters from accessing local oil fields and their revenue, despite earlier indications that it would withdraw fully from the area.

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