The German representation of the Autonomous Administration of Northern and Eastern Syria (AANES) warned in a statement of an impending offensive on Manbij. The statement said: "After Islamist militias conquered the city of Aleppo and other areas in northern Syria in recent days, troop movements by the pro-Turkish SNA indicate a possible attack on the city of Manbij."

Khaled Davrisch, representative of AANES in Germany said: "If Turkey attacks Manbij with its Islamist mercenaries, there is a risk of a massacre and the displacement of tens of thousands of people. The armed forces of the Autonomous Administration will exercise our right to self-defense and protect the civilian population. A relapse of Syria into the bloodiest days of the civil war must be prevented."

Manbij, a pluri-ethnic region

Manbij was liberated from the rule of the Islamic State in 2016. Shortly after the liberation, thousands of people returned to their homes. The inhabitants of the self-governing canton are predominantly Arab and Kurdish. Circassians, Turkmen, Armenians and Chechens also live there.