Syrian Forces Seize Major Oil Fields As Kurds Retreat Toward Raqqa

Fighting intensified in northeastern Syria on Sunday as forces loyal to Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa advanced against Kurdish fighters, capturing key oil and gas assets from the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The territory has been controlled for years by the SDF, a Kurdish-led alliance supported by Washington that established a self-governing administration across large parts of the northeast.

The current escalation erupted in early January after negotiations collapsed between al-Sharaa and the Kurdish Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, known as DAANES. Al-Sharaa has made clear his goal of dismantling Kurdish autonomy and restoring full central control over the country.

On Sunday morning, al-Sharaa’s troops reportedly scored a major breakthrough in Deir ez-Zor province. Three security sources told Reuters that regime forces captured the Omar oil field, Syria’s largest, along with the nearby Conoco gas field. Both sites had been held by Kurdish forces, and their loss marks a significant strategic setback for the SDF as Syrian forces continue pushing toward the former ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.