Turkey-backed Syrian fighters gather along the frontlines opposite Kurdish forces near the town of Dadat, 2016 (AFP).

In a statement released today, on Wednesday, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs denounced the cut in the water supply of more than a million Syrians in the city of al-Hasakah and its surroundings: describing it as a "crime against humanity".

The statement reads: "This represents a serious threat to public health, especially in light of the unprecedented heat wave which has struck the region. Water is being used as a weapon of war and a tool to achieve political ends."

"The people of the city of Hasakah and its surroundings are stuck between the anvil of the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries of terrorist gangs, and the hammer of the American occupation and its separatist stooges, who continue to cut off drinking water from the city and all the populated areas that extend along the water pipeline connecting Alouk station, eastern al-Hasakah."

The ministry also called on the UN to act decisively and effectively to stop this mass violation of the conventions and norms of international law, also stressing the need to ensure the resumption of pumping water "at full speed", and to enable technical teams to supervise its work and operation, which ensures that the people of al-Hasakah have access to drinking water.

The ministry also affirmed the need to end the illegal presence of American and Turkish forces on Syrian territory.

"Re-instating state authority and resuming the work of its official institutions in the north, northeast, and northwest are the only way to end the suffering of our people there, restore stability to the region, and improve the humanitarian and living conditions in it."

Earlier this month, the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) transported 500 military armored vehicles from the city of Qamishli in the northern countryside of Al Hasakah to the towns of Jadeed Akidat, Al Basira, and the Al Omar oil field in the northeastern countryside of Deir Ezzor. This exchange occurred as the Syrian army and its allies relinquished control of the area.

Local sources confirmed to Al Mayadeen that US forces also installed a new spy balloon in the El Conico gas field in the northern countryside of Deir Ezzor, coinciding with the arrival of reinforcements of SDF militants to the region.

Earlier, the international coalition, led by the US occupation forces in Syria, carried out a series of infantry drills, in cooperation with the so-called "Army of Free Syria" faction over an area of 55 km starting from the illegal Al-Tanf occupation base, on the Syrian-Jordanian-Iraqi border triangle.

The drills lasted for several days and included training on monitoring, reconnaissance systems, anti-aircraft weapons, and medium-to-heavy machine guns.