Click to see original-size image. Source: the Manbij Military Council (fb.com/manbijmc)
Late on November 27, a blast rocked al-Shuhada roundabout at the southern entrance of the town of Manbij in the northern countryside of Syria’s Aleppo.
Manbij is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). However, Syrian government forces maintain a large presence around the town, along with few units from the Russian Military Police.
The blast was reportedly caused by an explosive device that blew up seriously damaging a civilian vehicle that was passing nearby.
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- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Manbij Military Council (fb.com/manbijmc)
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- Click to see full-size image. Source: the Manbij Military Council (fb.com/manbijmc)
According to the SDF’s Manbij Military Council, the blast claimed the lives of three civilians. The victims were identified as Nour al-Hfne, her son Said and her sister Nour. At least five other people were wounded.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights revealed that three of the wounded are fighters of the pro-government National Defense Forces.
The attack was likely carried out by ISIS cells, who are known to be present in Manbij, or by Turkish-backed militants, who occupy large areas to the north and west of the town.
Recent reports revealed that Turkey and its proxies are preparing to launch a large-scale operation against the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria. Manbij will supposedly be one of the operation’s main targets. Syrian government forces reinforced their positions around the town following these reports.