SDF thwarts infiltration by Turkish-backed SNA in Syria’s Manbij
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – Media Center of theManbij Military Council said on Thursday it thwarted an infiltration attempt by Turkish-backed Syrian opposition factions in north of Manbij, northern Syria.
The Manbij Military Council, which is affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), said on its official website, “Members of the Turkish-backed Euphrates Shield faction tried several times to infiltrate the village of al-Mehsinli amid violent clashes with light and heavy weapons.”
The council stressed that the infiltration was foiled.
The clashes caused damages to one of the Turkish bases in the village of Helwanji in north of Manbij, according to the council.
After the clashes ended, the Turkish forces continued the shelling of al-Mehsinli with mortars, bringing the toll of shells that hit the village to 15, the council added.
Turkish forces bombed on Wednesday the villages of Awn al-Dadat and al-Mehsinli in north of Manbij with heavy weapons.
On May 29, the Turkish forces shelled the villages of al-Yalinli and al-Sayyada from their positions in the village of Sheikh Nasser, 14 km northwest of Manbij.
On May 30, Manbij Military Council said that the number of shells that fell over three days was 41, fired from the Turkish bases in the villages of (al-Tokhar, al-Hoshariya, al-Yashli and Sheikh al-Nasser).
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 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.