The Syrian Foreign Minister denied on Thursday US accusations of detaining former US Marine Austin Tice, calling them unfounded.

In a statement, the ministry said, "The claims made by the U.S. administration on Wednesday, which included false accusations against the Syrian government for detaining U.S. citizen Austin Tice ... and the allegation that he was working as a journalist when he entered Syrian territory and went missing, are misleading."

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The ministry added that these accusations regarding Tice or other Americans are baseless and represent a deliberate distortion of facts, which are a continuation of the US administration's practice of making baseless accusations against Syria.

It emphasized that these accusations are part of ongoing US hostile practices, including support for separatist militias and terrorist groups, as well as efforts to plunder Syrian resources and impose unilateral coercive measures that cause suffering for the Syrian people.

The United States had admitted years ago that Austin Tice, who reportedly arrived in Syria in 2012, and other Americans entered the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic illegally.

The US has been for years supporting terrorist groups and armed groups in Syria, including the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

With the assistance of these groups, the US frequently loots Syrian oil and transports to its bases in Iraq. 

On May 16, the US-led coalition began a new repositioning process in Syria, roughly two and a half years after former President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the country, which he later retracted and instead deployed forces in areas where oil and gas fields are found. 

The Syrian people have long been resisting the US occupation of their country, with locals preventing US military convoys from entering their cities and villages all over Syria.

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