Furious residents of towns in northeast Syria pelted US forces with vegetables and accused them of “betrayal” on Monday, as soldiers withdrew from Kurdish-controlled areas amid a controversial Turkish incursion there.

The embarrassing scenes were caught on camera by locals in the border town of Qamishli who told The Independent dozens of armoured vehicles travelled through north Syria overnight and crossed the Iraqi border on Monday morning.

The local population has accused the US of abandoning Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces “to be slaughtered by Turkey alone” even though the SDF has lost some 10,000 fighters helping the US defeat Isis.

President Donald Trump, who wants to bring Americans home from “endless wars” in the Middle East, announced that US troops would pull back and not stop an imminent attack from Turkey two weeks ago. Days later Turkish troops and their Syrian rebel allies launched a cross-border incursion against the Kurds, aimed at building a 30km-buffer zone along the Turkish border in Syria.

Mr Trump later ordered a countrywide withdrawal of some 1,000 troops, the vast majority of which will move to western Iraq.

Turkey launches offensive into Syria Show all 25 1 /25 Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish soldiers with armored vehicles EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria A woman flees with her children during Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke billows following Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain in the Hasakeh province along the Turkish border on October 9, 2019. - Turkey launched an assault on Kurdish forces in northern Syria with air strikes and explosions reported along the border. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of the attack on Twitter, labelling it "Operation Peace Spring". (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images) DELIL SOULEIMAN AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria The first group of Turkish infantry prepare to enter Syria on the border Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke billows from targets inside Syria AP Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish armoured vehicles enter Syria in Akcakale Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians leave as smoke rises from Ras al-Ain AFP Turkey launches offensive into Syria A multi-rocket launcher fires in an unknown location Turkish Defence Ministry via Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria People wave as Turkish soldiers prepare to cross the border Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Girls stand together in Ras al Ain town Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria A woman walks as smoke billows following Turkish bombardment in Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria A Turkish army's tank drives down from a truck towards the border with Syria AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish jet taxis on tarmac after returning to a military base in southeast Diyarbakir Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria A Turkish armored vehicle drives down a road during a military operation in Kurdish areas of northern Syria EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria People sit on belongings at a back of a truck as they flee Ras al Ain town Reuters Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey-backed Syrian opposition fighters enter Tel Abyad AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria People flee Tal Abyad North Press Agency/Reuters TV Turkey launches offensive into Syria People wave as Turkish soldiers prepare to cross the border into Syria Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee with their belongings AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Civilians flee during Turkish bombardment on Syria's northeastern town of Ras al-Ain in the Hasakeh province along the Turkish border on October 9, 2019. - Turkey launched a broad assault on Kurdish-controlled areas in northeastern Syria today, with intensive bombardment paving the way for an invasion made possible by the withdrawal of US troops. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images) DELIL SOULEIMAN AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, right, speaks with Defense Minister Hulusi Akar, left, as they watch the operation by Turkish forces in Kurdish areas EPA Turkey launches offensive into Syria Smoke rises from the Syrian town of Tal Abyad AFP/Getty Turkey launches offensive into Syria Turkey-backed members of Syrian National Army prepare for moving to Turkey with heavy armed vehicles EPA

Akram Salah, a local journalist in Qamishli, said residents felt that the US had “betrayed and abandoned” them.

“There were many US military vehicles and armoured trucks that moved from north Syria towards the Iraqi borders. When they reached Qamishli at dawn, there were activists holding banners saying, ‘When you go to the US, tell your children that we saw Kurdish children being killed’,” he told The Independent from the city on Monday.

“There were other banners that read ‘Why did you leave us without protection and all alone?’ This morning people received the convoys by throwing potatoes at them yelling ‘you have left us alone and betrayed us’.”

More than 100 vehicles crossed the border into Iraq early on Monday from the northeast tip of Syria. US officials are currently discussing an option that would keep a small residual military force in northeast Syria to secure oil fields against Isis.

Mark Esper, the US defence secretary, said he had not made a final decision on that option and has not yet presented it to the president.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul, Afghanistan, he added: “The purpose is to deny access, specifically revenue to Isis and any other groups that may want to seek that revenue to enable their own malign activities.”

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s president, launched a controversial cross-border offensive two weeks ago to push Kurdish forces away from the border region and build a “safe zone” in which it hopes to repatriate some of the 3.6 million Syrian refugees hosted in his country.

At least 70 civilians have been killed and more than 300,000 people displaced in the fighting.

Turkey did agree to pause its offensive for five days under a deal with Washington, set to expire on Tuesday, when Mr Erdogan is set to discuss the next steps in the region at a meeting in Russia with president Vladimir Putin.

But Mevlut Cavusoglu, Turkey’s foreign minister, warned his country will resume its military offensive if Kurdish fighters do not vacate the region before the end of the truce.

Redur Khalil, a senior Kurdish official, meanwhile, maintained that Kurdish forces are complying with the deal, but cannot withdraw completely from the border towns of Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad because they are still under fire.

On Monday, Sergei Shoigu, Russia’s defence minister, said that 12 Syrian prisons holding foreign militants, as well as eight refugee camps, have been left unguarded as a result of the Turkish operation.