At least one civilian has been killed and several other injured as the US occupation forces carried out an airdrop operation in the northeastern province of Hasakah.

Syria’s official news agency SANA reported that the operation was carried out in the village of Salham, southeast of the town of al-Shadadi in the southern countryside of Hasakah on Sunday. 

According to local sources, the US offensive was conducted with the help of Washington-backed Kurdish militants affiliated with the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). 

The sources added that the airdrop operation was accompanied by heavy and indiscriminate shooting at the villagers’ homes and the surrounding agricultural lands.

They went on to say that the US occupation forces and the SDF militants cordoned off the village, and opened fire on people who tried to leave the area, which led to the death of a civilian and the injury of several others.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in eastern and northeastern Syria with the alleged purpose of preventing the oilfields in the area from falling into the hands of Daesh terrorists.

Damascus, however, says the unlawful deployment is meant to plunder the country’s resources.

Former US president Donald Trump admitted on several occasions that American forces were in Syria for its oil.

After failing to oust the Syrian government with the help of its proxies and direct involvement in the conflict, the US government has now stepped up its economic war on the Arab country.

The US and its allies invaded Syria in 2014 under the pretext of fighting Daesh.

The Takfiri terrorist group had emerged as Washington was running out of excuses to extend its regional meddling or expand it in scale.

American forces sustain their illegal presence on the Arab country's soil, although Damascus and its allies defeated Daesh in late 2019.