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Over 4,000 ISIS militants killed in Manbij operation: SDF leadership

MANBIJ – Leadership of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) announced that more than 4,000 militants of the Islamic State (ISIS) have been killed in the recent Manbij operation, which took 73 days before the Syrian border city was liberated on Friday.

Adnan Abu Abu Amjad, commander of the SDF-led Manbij Military Council announced that at least 4,180 ISIS militants were killed, and 1,724 bodies were confiscated by the SDF forces in the campaign to take Manbij from the militant group.

The city of Manbij was liberated last Friday after over two to three years occupation by ISIS, but the Manbij Military Council on Monday announced its full liberation.

A senior official said off the record that the success in Manbij shows that the SDF and the Peoples Protection Units (YPG) are the most effective forces fighting ISIS in Syria, killing over 4,000 ISIS fighters in Manbij, and 6,000 ISIS fighters in the battle for Kobane that ended with a victory in January 2015.

Moreover, 144 ISIS vehicles were destroyed, 112 ISIS militants were captured, and 264 fighters from Manbij lost their lives in the operation that took over two months.

Speaking to ARA News, SDF official Dr Nasir Haji Mansour said the liberation of Manbij was very important.

“It’s very important for the fight against ISIS, and for the struggle for democracy in Syria, because the ISIS centre to attack Europe was in Manbij, but now the roads for ISIS to travel to Europe are cut off, and the terror group has also lost its logistical lines between Turkey and its de facto capital Raqqa,” he said.

Mansour added that the Manbij operation cut ISIS territory into pieces with al-Bab and al-Raqqa being disconnected from each other. As a result, it will be easier to fight ISIS in the future in Syria.

Reporting by: Wladimir van Wilgenburg

Source: ARA News

SDF-led Manbij Military Council announcing the outcomes of the recent anti-ISIS operation in the Syrian border city of Manbij. Photo: ARA News

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