Baladi News – Aleppo (Nizar Hamidi)
Dozens of families succeeded in fleeing Manbij city east from Aleppo on Tuesday, whereas clashes continued between ISIS and Syria’s Democratic Forces (SDF) in the eastern neighborhoods of the city.
Local sources told Baladi News that nearly 200 families were able to escape to the outside of the SDF-besieged city, clarifying that the families belong to the eastern neighborhoods that have been witnessing clashes between ISIS and SDF.
The sources mentioned that the escaping citizens were shot at by both conflicting parties. One civilian was shot dead by an SDF sniper in al-Garza Kabira village south from the city, meanwhile others were found dead due to the fires of unknown snipers.
SDF militias could advance against ISIS in the eastern neighborhoods of Manbij under the coverage of the international coalition air forces that conducted more than 20 airstrikes. The frontlines between the two opponents extend 2 km between al-Jazira turnaround in the west to al-Hasakah- Aleppo road in the east.
In Manbij countryside, local sources told Baladi News that SDF militia allowed the residents of al-Sultania village, located 3 km east from the city, to return to their houses only to find that their houses had been completely rubbed by SDF.
It is noteworthy that Manbij, the city controlled by ISIS, has been under SDF forces siege for two months under constant airstrikes by the international coalition air forces that mostly killed civilians. The civilians are the most vulnerable party that has suffered from violations of both rivals.