The Commander Faysal Abû Layla Operation launched to clear Manbij of ISIS gangs continues. Mines laid by the gangs are being picked one by one in the areas liberated from ISIS.

The Manbij Military Assembly and QSD fighters had seized control of a strategic hill approximately 5 km from the city on the south side. The 4-km hill covered in a dense pine forest was used by the nomadic Koçers before the ISIS invasion. The fighters liberating the hill from the gangs started building their positions as well as clearing the numerous anti-personnel mines laid by ISIS gangs on the hill.

Siyabend Şêxler leads the mine sweeping efforts and said that they had passed the southern end of Manbij and taken a significant step towards surrounding the city.

Şêxler said, “This location has recently come under control of our forces. This is a pine forest area to the south of the city that was used by the nomadic Koçers before, and it is an important hill in the defense of the city as it rises high,” and added that nobody had stepped on mines and the forces didn’t suffer any casualties as they took control of the hill. Now they have started clearing the mines.

Şêxler stressed that the gangs had laid numerous mines in the land as they fled and said, “The mines have fortified explosives inside. They have ready-made and improvised heel mines. We use controlled explosions to defuse these.”

Şêxler also mentioned that there was a possibility that the heel mines were provided by the Turkish state.