The Syrian Democratic Forces, dominated by the Kurdish Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG), are slowly regaining the northern Syrian town of Manbij from the Islamic State. The operation, which was launched in late May, has the town surrounded and is making deliberate, steady progress towards the town centre.
As they retake the town from ISIS, SDF members have discovered more than 10,000 documents and 4.5 terabytes of data belonging to the self-described caliphate, Air Force Col. Pat Ryder told Pentagon reporters on Friday.
The documents found include information on hundreds of foreign fighters from more than 40 different countries, Ryder said, and is giving the international coalition battling the terrorist group a clearer idea of its “global reach.”
The hope is this information will aid in future anti-ISIS operations, Ryder added.
The operation to retake Manbij has been moving slowly due to the high number of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by militants and in order to protect civilians still living in the town.
“The SDF so far [has] been addressing this threat effectively [by] approaching the bombs cautiously and with an acknowledgement that the explosives can impact the city’s civilian population,” Ryder said, adding that small areas have contained as many as 600 IEDs.
“It will take time, it will not be easy, and we are confident that the SDF will eventually take back the city and seize this key terrain from ISIL [ISIS],” Ryder said.
Video from the SDF Press Centre shows the forces advancing into Manbij centre.
