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SDF now control 40 percent of Manbij city, says conflict monitor
[RUDAW.NET] The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) group has successfully captured 40 percent of the strategically-important city of Manbij from Islamic State...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allaharound with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not reallyMoslems.... (ISIS), after their recent pushes into the city allowed them to seize key areas from the turbans. With coalition air support the SDF pushed further into the city taking most of its eastern parts, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights conflict monitor reported on Sunday. They are now in control of the al-Jazira turning, Mestosaf neighbourhood, and Ghasania school, according to the Observatory. Spokesperson for the SDF, Shervan Derwish, said that his forces are in control of more than 70% of Manbij. At least 2,300 civilians in the city have been able to leave thanks to these SDF advances. ISIS has shot at civilians who attempted to flee. Women who have made it out of Manbij have taken off their black robes and burned them, celebrating their freedom from Islamic State rule, according to images published by Derwish. The SDF have had the city encircled for months now after beginning their offensive against ISIS faceless myrmidons in that region in late May. Seizing Manbij from ISIS will further isolate the group’s main stronghold in Syria, the city of Raqqa. Progress into Manbij city has been slow in spite of the coalition air support. The SDF offered ISIS an ultimatum whereby the faceless myrmidons would be allowed safe passage out of the city with their light weaponry in order to save civilian lives. ISIS refused their offer and remains dug-in. The US has come under severe criticism over reports that their On Friday the Pentagon press secretary Peter Cook addressed these concerns, emphasizing that air support to the SDF would continue and that ISIS are responsible for placing civilians in harm’s way. "They [ISIS] are not taking steps to protect civilians ‐ innocent civilian life," Cook explained. "Well, those local forces we’re supporting might have a different view if we weren’t conducting those Posted by: Fred 2016-08-01 |
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