Iraq News

Syria army enters Manbij in new alliance with Kurds

The Syrian army entered the key northern city of Manbij for the first time in six years on Friday (December 28th), a spokesman said in a televised statement.

The announcement came shortly after the Kurds asked for the Syrian regime's help to face a threatened Turkish offensive, AFP reported.

The Syrian army spokesman said the national flag was raised in Manbij, a key city which lies about 30 kilometres south of the Turkish border.

The People's Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria, last week appealed for regime forces to deploy in areas it had withdrawn from earlier this year, especially Manbij.

"We invite the Syrian government forces... to assert control over the areas our forces have withdrawn from, in particular Manbij," the statement said.

Kurdish fighters still based there are part of the international coalition-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which are battling the "Islamic State of Iraq and Syria" (ISIS).

More than 300 government forces deployed in the Manbij area, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Nura al-Hamed, deputy head of the Manbij local authority, told AFP that "the regime forces will not enter the city of Manbij itself but will deploy on the demarcation line".

Hamed said that US and French coalition forces stationed there remained at their positions and continued to conduct patrols.

Do you like this article?

0 Comment(s)
Comment Policy * Denotes Required Field 1500 / 1500