Residents of Manbij in northern Syria recently celebrated the second anniversary of their city’s liberation from the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

Since the extremist group was defeated, city leaders told Diyaruna, security has been restored and basic services are almost back to normal, thanks to solid co-operation between military and civilian authorities and residents.

On August 12th, a celebration was held in the centre of the Aleppo province city on the occasion of the second anniversary of its liberation.

This included a well-attended military parade held by the Manbij Military Council and a number of speeches delivered by council officials.

On August 15th, a further public celebration drew residents of Manbij and other areas of northern Syria to hear speeches and enjoy folklore performances.

Manbij has come a long way

"The battles with ISIS for the liberation of the city and its hinterland went on for 75 days, during which many members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and Manbij Military Council were killed," said council spokesman Shorfan Darwish.

The city was of critical importance to ISIS due to its relative proximity to the Turkish border, and as it was on a crossroads linking Aleppo province to other parts of the country, he told Diyaruna.

Before Manbij was liberated -- with support from the international coalition and SDF -- there had been a heavy presence of foreign fighters in the city, he noted.

Two years on, "the city has a military council with extensive combat experience, as well as military structure and an organised force", he said.

The newly established democratic civilian administration has provided services despite all the challenges, obstacles and attempts to undermine stability, he said, and residents are now enjoying restored security and economic prosperity.

The confidence given to the Manbij Military Council by the international coalition signals the propriety of the council's work and its commitment to fulfilling the promises made to civilians in the region, Darwish said.

"We have achieved a lot and still have a lot to achieve, despite all the obstacles and threats that come to us from here and there," he added. "They do not frighten us, and we are continuing on our way to greater stability, security and prosperity in Manbij."

Restoring security, services

"The nature of the social fabric and spirit of brotherhood in the city of Manbij have made it possible for many things to happen over the past two years," legislative council co-chairman Farouk al-Mashi told Diyaruna.

Considering the condition the city was in when ISIS was driven out, the turnaround has been remarkable, he said.

The priority for the civil administration and legislative council has been to form work teams, he said, in co-operation with the city’s military council.

"The Manbij Civil Council was founded on April 5th, 2016, before the city’s liberation, and has been serving residents in conjunction with the military council," al-Mashi said.

Attention is being given to all vital sectors, particularly the education sector, he said, which has been receiving support to repair schools and prepare teachers to receive students who have been out of school for close to three years.

The first priority was the removal of explosive remnants of war, rubble and mines, with electricity, water and sewage services restored and road repair commencing after the completion of this work.

Manbij and its surrounding areas are seeing "a high level of security", thanks to the co-operation between security and civilian entities, he said, and to the support of residents.

Social cohesion

"I never imagined that the situation in the city of Manbij would return to normal so quickly," local farmer Mahmoud Sheikh Saleh told Diyaruna.

"In a matter of two years it was liberated from the control of ISIS and totally rehabilitated, and every aspect of life has returned to normal," he said.

The people of the region have demonstrated their cohesion, he added, noting that they have pulled together to restore their city in the post-ISIS era.

"ISIS’s oppression did not differentiate between the people of the region, who were subjected to displacement, torture and even murder," he added.

"The response by everyone -- Arabs, Kurds, Turkmen, Circassians, Muslims and Christians -- has been co-operation, harmony and unity, to shake off the effects of war."