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Late on December 27, new round of clashes broke out between forces of the Manbij Military Council and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) northwest of Manbij.
Battle continued for several hours without any advance by the sides of the conflict. No casualties have been reported so far.
According to local reports, the Manbij Military Council, affiliated with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), foiled an infiltration attempt by the Turkish-backed armed factions.
According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on December 27th, some clashes were recorded in Sayad, Arab Hassan, and Tukhar villages northwest of Manbij in the eastern Aleppo countryside.
On December 28, the North Press news agency reported that Turkish forces bombed several villages in the countryside of Manbij city. The targets included the villages of Sheikh al-Nasir, Jamousiya, al-Sayyada, al-Yalanli and al-Fawaris farm in the northwestern countryside of Manbij.
Manbij is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), while Turkish-backed militants occupy large areas to the north and west of the town.
Some reports revealed that Turkey and its proxies were preparing to launch a large-scale operation against the SDF in northern and northeastern Syria. Manbij would supposedly be one of the operation’s main targets. The Turkish threat seems to be decreased, after Syrian government forces and their allies reinforced their positions around the town.
