The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed to a ceasefire brokered by the US in Manbij.

“The fighters of the Manbij Military Council will withdraw from the area as soon as possible,” said SDF Commander General Mazlum Abdi on Wednesday morning. Accordingly, the agreement was reached to ensure the safety of the civilian population. “Our goal is a ceasefire throughout Syria and the initiation of a political process to determine the future of the country,” Abdi continued.

The ceasefire in Manbij was preceded by two weeks of fighting, which occurred in parallel with the advance of the jihadist alliance led by the HTS militia towards Damascus. Manbij Military Council and other member associations of the SDF fiercely resisted the occupation of the region by the so-called SNA, whose losses were last estimated at several hundred. Reports by the Turkish official Anadolu news agency that Manbij had long since fallen proved to be deliberately false reports as part of psychological warfare.

But the fighting in Manbij continued on Tuesday evening as the SDF wants to prevent an expansion of the occupation war to the eastern side of the Euphrates. In parallel to the major attack on Manbij, the Turkish army has increased its air and artillery attacks on Kobanê, further northeast, in recent days. The military council's resistance is currently still focused on the strategically important Qereqozax bridge between Manbij and Kobanê. The Tishrin Dam, located further south, is still out of operation as a result of targeted attacks by the Turkish army and its SNA proxies. Large areas of the autonomous region of North and East Syria have been left without electricity.  

Meanwhile, more and more atrocities by the SNA in Manbij are coming to light. The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported ‘dozens of executions’ of wounded military council fighters who were murdered by Erdoğan's mercenaries in a hospital in the north of the city. There has also been looting in the city against the Kurdish population, with a number of houses being burned down. In addition, ‘revenge attacks’ have been carried out against the civilian population. In one case, three female activists of the Zenubiya Women's Community were killed by SNA jihadists. Kongra Star, the women's movement of northeast Syria, announced that several female officers of the Asayish (Internal Security Forces) had been abducted from Manbij. Videos posted online by SNA mercenaries themselves show the women being presented like war booty during their transport.