Turkish forces shell villages in north Syria’s Manbij
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Turkish forces shelled on Wednesday two villages in the north of Manbij, a city in Aleppo eastern countryside, northern Syria.
Media Center of Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said that the Turkish forces shelled the two villages of al-Mehsinli and Awn Dadat with heavy artillery.
The center added that the Turkish forces fired about 14 shells. However, no casualties were reported.
The city of Manbij and its countryside were liberated from ISIS in 2016 by the SDF with support of the US-led Global Coalition. It is now being run by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES).
The AANES was first formed in 2014 in the Kurdish-majority regions of Afrin, Kobani and Jazira in northern Syria following the withdrawal of the government forces. Later, it was expanded to Manbij, Tabqa, Raqqa, Hasakah and Deir ez-Zor after the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) defeated ISIS militarily.
Since May 12, the Turkish forces have shelled several villages in the countryside of Manbij and Kobani. This escalation is considered the first of its kind in months.
On May 29, the Turkish forces shelled the villages of al-Yalinli and al-Sayyada from their posts in the village of Sheikh Nasser, 14 km northwest of Manbij.