Iraq News

Arab-Kurd forces push into Syria's Manbij

An Arab-Kurd alliance on Thursday (June 23rd) pushed into the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) stronghold of Manbij in northern Syria, AFP reported.

Fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) managed to enter the city with support from coalition airstrikes, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"The SDF entered Manbij from the south under cover of coalition air raids," said Observatory chief Rami Abdel Rahman.

He said there was "fierce street fighting between buildings" and that at least two SDF fighters had died when a bomb went off in a residential building.

The SDF was able to break through ISIL defences a few hours after taking control of a village on the city's south-western outskirts, Abdel Rahman said.

Progress was likely to be slow as SDF forces were facing booby-traps ISIL had planted "to try to prevent the loss of the city", he added.

The SDF has faced fierce resistance from ISIL since launching the assault to take Manbij on May 31st. It managed to encircle the city earlier this month but its advance slowed as ISIL fought back, with almost daily suicide bombings.

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