Indian Strategic Studies: The Pictures Coming Out Of A Town Liberated From ISIS Are Stunning

https://www.buzzfeed.com/hayesbrown/the-pictures-coming-out-of-a-town-liberated-from-isis-are-st?utm_term=.qdeKBRDb#.ln0o2Aaj

Manbij, a city in the Aleppo province of Syria, fell under the control of rebels backed by the United States on Friday after heavy fighting. posted on Aug. 13, 2016, at 3:20 a.m.

Hayes Brown

US-backed Syrian rebels on Friday claimed that they had seized total control of a town that had been under ISIS control since 2014.

Rodi Said / Reuters

The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of mostly Kurdish fighters with some Arabs among their ranks that receives US support, had been campaigning to remove ISIS from the city for the last 73 days.

Rodi Said / Reuters

Most of ISIS was repelled from the city last week, but dozens of fighters remained, the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at the time.

Syria Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters chat with an injured civilian Rodi Said / Reuters

The group on Friday said that about 500 cars carrying ISIS fighters and civilians were seen leaving Manbij heading toward an ISIS stronghold on the Turkish border.

Rodi Said / Reuters

Sharfan Darwish, a spokesperson Manbij Military Council, part of the SDF coalition,told Reuters that as the militants were attempting to flee the city, they captured civilians to serve as human shields.

Rodi Said / Reuters

But the civilians were recovered during the final push, Sharwan said. “The city is now fully under our control but we are undertaking sweeping operations,” he told Reuters.

Rodi Said / Reuters

The capture of the city comes on the heels of another set of rebels breaking a longstanding regime siege of the city of Aleppo, a major military success.

Rodi Said / Reuters

With the capture of Manbij, a crucial route between Raqqa, the city that serves as ISIS’ capital, and Aleppo has been severed.

A man cuts the beard of a civilian who was evacuated. Rodi Said / Reuters

The fight to retake the city included air support from the United States, which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said caused the death of nearly 60 civilians. The Pentagon has opened an investigation into the claim.