Turkish shells hit villages in Syria’s Manbij
MANBIJ, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, Turkish forces and their affiliated armed opposition factions, also known as Syrian National Army (SNA) shelled the northwestern countryside of Manbij, northern Syria.
The Turkish forces fired mortar shells at the villages of Umm Adasah, Umm Jeloud, Sayyadah, Pak and Weiran, northwest of Manbij, said Manbij Military Council.
The Manbij Military Council was founded in 2017. It is consisted of fighters from all the communities of Manbij including the Arabs, Kurds, Circassians and Turkmen.
The Council added that more than 15 shells hit the villages, which caused a state of panic and horror among the residents.
The city of Manbij, east of Aleppo, is one of the most important industrial centers in northern Syria, as it is a transportation hub and sits on a commercial road linking the Autonomous Administration held areas with those of the Syrian government, in addition to opposition-held areas in northern Syria.
The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS liberated Manbij from ISIS in 2016 following fierce battles.
Following its liberation from ISIS, the Arabs, Kurds, Circassians and Turkmen, who constitute the fabric of Manbij, established their own administration under the name of Democratic Civil Administration of Manbij and its Countryside to run the affairs of their region. Then, this administration joined 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 SDF defeated ISIS militarily there.
Manbij was
In a speech after charring a government meeting on June 27, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stressed that the new military operation in northern Syria will be implemented soon.
On June 1, Erdogan renewed his threats to invade northern Syria, and specified his targets in the two Syrian cities of Manbij and Tel Rifaat, which include many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Turkish-occupied Afrin.
On May 25, Turkey’s National Security Council said that Turkey’s “existing and future military operations along its southern borders were necessary for the country’s security.” In the meeting, Erdogan delivered a speech to the MPs of his ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and said, “Turkish military would continue to rid its neighbor of terrorists” refers to the SDF.
On May 23, the Turkish president threatened to launch a new military operation in Syria to secure Turkey’s southern border.