The occupying Turkish army and allied mercenaries attacked the village of Tehna Mezin in Manbij Canton on Thursday.

The attack claimed the lives of 9-year-old Casim Cuma El Casim and his 5-year-old brother Ebdo Cuma El Casim. Their cousins, 6-year-old Casim Mehmûd Al Casim, 8-year-old Ehmed Casim Al Casim and 10-year-old Muslim Al Casim were seriously injured.

The wounded children were rushed to Manbij Hospital.

Manbij is located 30 kilometres south of the Turkish border and occupies a key strategic position in Turkey's plans to expand its illegal occupation zone in northern Syria. The city, which is administered by the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (DAANES), is located on the important M4 highway, which runs through northern Syria like a lifeline and was a strategic supply route for ISIS. In addition to the Manbij Military Council, the Enîya Kurdan (Kurdish Front) and the Idlib Revolutionary Brigade are also responsible for the defence of the region.

Since Manbij was named by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the primary target for a new invasion of northern and eastern Syria in 2022, the war of attrition against the city has intensified. There are regular attacks by the Turkish army and allied jihadist militias as well as infiltration attempts, which are mainly directed against civilian settlement areas with the aim of displacing the population. The positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are also repeatedly under attack. The international community ignores Turkey's crimes in its neighbouring country.