“The Syrian Democratic Forces took control of Manbij on Saturday and are combing the city in search of the last remaining jihadists”, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, noting that pockets of IS militants still remained in the center of the city.
Advertisement
Rebel and regime forces have fought for control of the provincial capital of the same name since mid-2012, transforming the former economic powerhouse into a divided, bombed-out city.
Manbij is situated at an intersection of roads just south of the Turkish border.
It’s yet another stronghold ISIS has given up in recent months after the loss of parts of Sirte in Libya, and Falluja in Iraq. The offensive to wrest Manbij from ISIS began May 31.
The routes have become key to the group’s ability to move fighters, weapons and supplies in and out of Syria.
“Cut them off there and they’re totally isolated in Raqqa”.
The operation has been on-going for two months. It said coalition airstrikes killed 203 of them and snipers, landmines and machine gun fire left 229 dead.
“We have collected corpses of nine Daesh militants”, the Kurdish official said.
If Manbij is captured by the SDF, it will be the biggest strategic defeat for “IS” in Syria since July 2015, when the extremists lost the border town of Tal Abyad.
Advertisement
Manbij is located 446 kilometers (277 miles) north of the Syrian capital, Damascus.
