Muhammed Jameel, Baladi News, Manbij
After Syrian Democratic Forces "SDF" tightened their siege on the city of Manbij in the eastern countryside of Aleppo, more than 200 thousand civilians are suffering from a severe shortage of drugs, vegetables and most of the foodstuff due to the imposed besiegement by "SDF" along with the fear of merchants and salesmen of opening their shops all day so as to avoid the expected bombardment.
One of the besieged residents in Manbij, who's name remained unidentified, stressed that the movement is virtually non-existent in the city. He pointed out that there is a state of a great fear among the civilians due to the imminent clashes and the intensification of continued bombardment of the coalition air force on the outskirts of the city. He also expressed his concern of being used by ISIS as human shields.
Some sources have indicated that civilians are daily paying the price of the ongoing clashes between "SDF" militias and "ISIS". They have also confirmed that ISIS killed 7 civilians from one family by sniping them on the outskirts of Tal Al-Yastai village northeast of Manbij.
On the other hand, "SDF" militias have arbitrarily arrested 4 civilians in Al-Jat village amidst accusations against SDF of stealing the houses in the northern countryside of Manibij.
More than 22 civilians were killed in the village of Oujaknah after being targeted by the International coalition air force.
On the military level, "SDF" militias seized control over the villages of (Oum Al-Satah, Midna, and Jamiet al-Itihad) from the western front and (Kabirja, Joub Al-Kalab and Hasan Agha) from the southern front which are 3 km away from the strategic mills of Manbij, the same case on the eastern and northern fronts as they are a few kilometers away from the middle of the city.