Occupation forces attack villages in Manbij

The Manbij Military Council reports artillery attacks on villages along the line of contact between the autonomous region and the occupied zone.

The Press Liaison Center of Manbij Military Council (MMC) reported that the occupying Turkish state and its gangs shelled the villages of Saydiyah, Yulanli, Al-Mafarid and Al-Kavakli north and northwest of Manbij with armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and mortars. It is unclear whether the bombardments originated from bases in the occupation zone or on Turkish territory. The extent of the damage caused by the attacks is also currently unknown. The shelling is reported to be continuing.

Manbij is located 30 kilometers 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, is located on the important M4 highway, which runs through northern Syria like a lifeline and was a strategic supply route for ISIS.

In 2022, Manbij was named by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as the primary target for a new invasion of northern and eastern Syria. There have been repeated attacks by the Turkish army and allied jihadist militias as well as infiltration attempts aimed primarily at civilian settlement areas with the aim of displacing the population.