Iraq News

Coalition tracking ISIL fighters who fled Syria's Manbij

The international coalition fighting the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) is tracking up to 200 of the group's fighters after they used human shields to flee the Syrian city of Manbij, AFP reported Tuesday (August 16th).

When it became clear the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an Arab-Kurd opposition alliance, would re-capture Manbij last week, some 100 to 200 ISIL fighters fled in cars and trucks, said Baghdad-based coalition spokesman Col. Chris Garver.

The SDF outside Manbij did not open fire on outgoing cars.

"Civilians were observed in the convoy intermingled with fighters in every vehicle," Garver said.

"We have repeatedly mentioned the care that our partnered forces were taking to avoid civilian casualties and collateral damage, so the partnered forces on the ground did not engage the convoy," he added.

He said the coalition was tracking those ISIL fighters but declined to elaborate, saying only that they went north and split up.

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