Syrian army seizes country’s largest oil field from Kurdish forces
Syrian troops fighting against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria captured the country’s largest oil field.
Officials and observers say the Omar facility and nearby gas fields have come under military control following the withdrawal of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The army had previously captured the strategic Tabqa dam on the Euphrates river.
The move comes after the SDF announced it would redeploy east of the Euphrates following last week’s deadly clashes. The withdrawal came after talks with US officials.
The ongoing conflicts in the region stem from the breakdown of the agreement between the SDF and the government of President Ahmed al-Shara, which is trying to integrate Kurdish bodies into Syrian institutions.
On Friday, al-Sharaa said he would make Kurdish the national language and make the Kurdish New Year a public holiday, in an apparent goodwill gesture. The decree marks the first official recognition of Kurdish national rights since Syria’s independence in 1946.
The US-backed SDF later announced its decision. Withdrawal to the east of the Euphrates River.
Kurdish forces control parts of Syria’s oil-rich north and northeast, and much of that control was gained during the fight against the Islamic State group over the past decade.
Throughout the weekend, Syrian troops continued to advance eastward. On Saturday they entered the town of Tabqa on the southwestern bank of the Euphrates and the town near the dam.
On Sunday, Syrian authorities announced that they had captured Omar, Syria’s largest oil field on the east bank of the river. The facility became an important source of income for the SDF.
This claim was supported by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group. It was stated that the SDF withdrew from “all the villages and towns in the eastern countryside of Deir ez-Zor”. [province]” as well as the Omar and Tanak oil fields early Sunday.
Meanwhile, Syrian officials accused the SDF of blowing up two bridges over the Euphrates River, including the new Al-Rashid bridge in the city of Raqqa.
It was reported that at least 12 people died in clashes between the two sides in the northern city of Aleppo last week.
The latest clashes are taking place despite US efforts to broker a ceasefire. Washington has long supported the SDF, but it also supports the Syrian government.
Following the ouster of long-time dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, President Al Shara is seeking to integrate Kurdish military and civilian bodies into Syria’s national institutions.
In March 2025, the SDF signed an agreement to this effect with the government. Almost a year later, the agreement was still not implemented and both sides blamed each other.
