SDF leader says SNA, HTS attack Syria’s Manbij not Arab tribes
QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – A spokesman of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Saturday that Turkish-backed armed opposition factions, aka the Syrian National Army (SNA), and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS, formerly al-Nusra Front) are attacking Manbij, northern Syria, but not Arab tribes as Turkey claims.
In an interview with the Qamishli-based Hawar news agency, Shervan Darwish, SDF’s Manbij Military Council (MMC) spokesperson, said, “The Turkish occupation claimed that those who launched the attacks[on Manbij] are members of the Arab tribes, but this is far from the truth. They do not have any relation or connection with the tribes.”
In recent days, SNA factions and HTS supported by Turkey have intensified attacks on Manbij region, but the SDF announced repelling all the attacks, causing casualties among the attackers.
He added that they documented and revealed to media outlets that the attackers belong to SNA factions and HTS, who stationed on contact lines in the villages of al-Boghaz and Korhyuk but their forces managed to push them back, leaving their dead militants behind.
Darwish stated “The Manbij Military Council consists, mostly, of tribe members. Whatever the Turkish occupation and its mercenaries propagate are just rumors and plans to spread hate and discord between the components of the region.”
He further added that the structure of the SDF depends on Arab tribes and called on the people not be deceived by plots of the Syrian government and Turkey to destabilize the region.
On Aug. 27, the SDF launched a military operation called “Security Reinforcement” with the support of the US-led Global Coalition on the eastern bank of the Euphrates River, specifically in Deir ez-Zor, “to eradicate ISIS sleeper cells, pursue criminals responsible for perpetrating injustices against the local population, and to track down smugglers who exploit the populace’s livelihoods.”
On Aug. 30, the SDF announced the dismissal of commander of Deir ez-Zor Military Council, Ahmad al-Khabil, known as Abu Khawla, from duty, for his involvement “in multiple crimes and violations, including communication and coordination with external entities hostile to the revolution, committing criminal offenses and engaging in drug trafficking, mismanaging of the security situation, his negative role in increasing the activities of ISIS cells,” according to the SDF.
The operation led to the eruption of clashes between the SDF and gunmen affiliated with the dismissed leaders and with Nawaf al-Bashir, leader of al-Baggara tribe and a pro-Iranian figure whose groups are active in the western bank of the Euphrates which is under the control of the Syrian government forces and Iranian-backed militias.
Darwish concluded that all of the attacks on Manbij failed and that they would continue to protect the region and its people.