ERBIL, Kurdistan Region –Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), and the Turkish army have attacked several villages south and west of Manbij, held by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) Wednesday afternoon, and the clashes are said to be ongoing, according to the media affiliated with the People’s Defense Units (YPG) in Syrian Kurdistan, a main component of the Kurdish-led SDF.
The FSA attacked the villiages of Gorhiko, Holash, Khalida, 29 km southwest of Manbij, faced with a military response from the YPG-affiliated forces called the Manbij Military Council, the Kurdish Hawar News Agency ANHA reported, describing the clashes as “intense”.
It also claimed that the ISIS group have also “simultaneously” attacked the two villages of Mustariha and Jadida, south of Manbij, resulting in ongoing clash between both sides.
Shervan Derwish, the spokesman of the manbij Military Council claimed "concurrent" attacks against their position by the ISIS group and Turkish backed fighters, resulting in "heavy clases."
Concurrent heavy attacks on our positions #Manbij, by #IS from south & Turkish, pro extremist militias from west, with heavy clashes.
— Shervan Derwish (@servankobane) March 1, 2017
The YPG announced in mid November that they have withdrawn their forces from the northern Syrian city of Manbij after enabling local forces to protect the city, adding that the withdrawn units will join the US-backed Syrian SDF in the operation to retake the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa.
“We announce the withdrawal of our forces to east of the Euphrates to take part in the “the Wrath of the Euphrates” to liberate Raqqa.” the YPG General Command said in a statement then.
The military operation to retake Raqqa from ISIS to oust the extremist group from its de facto capital was launched on November 6 on two fronts by an amalgam of fighters, including the YPG and its female counterpart YPJ, under the SDF flag.
The SDF liberated Manbij in mid-August after a months-long campaign against ISIS.
The YPG said its units helped the international coalition in training the local forces, and has now handed over the security of the city to the Manbij Military Council.
"After the liberation, our units started to help the international coalition forces to prepare the forces that belong to the Manbij military council, which now has got enough military and security institutions, and has become capable of protecting the Manbij land and its people against all the dangers posed against it.” The YPG statement issued in November continued.
Turkey, which considers the YPG as an extension of the Kurdistan’s Workers’ Party (PKK), has repeatedly asked the Kurdish forces to withdraw from all areas west of the Euphrates, and has expressed its concerns to the US regarding its partnership with the SDF in their campaign against the ISIS militants.
