ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkey-backed Syrian forces entered the northern Syrian city of Manbij after taking control of most of the surrounding area from U.S.-allied Kurdish forces there, a Turkish security source said on Sunday.
The operation comes after Syrian rebels in the south declared President Bashar al-Assad’s ouster after seizing control of Damascus.
“The fight against the YPG/PKK is very close to victory. Both air and land interventions are ongoing to take Manbij from the hands of the YPG/PKK,” the source said, referring to the Kurdish militia which has long been in control of Manbij.
The source subsequently said the rebel forces were in the city of Manbij itself. There was no immediate comment from Kurdish forces in the city, some 30 km (19 miles) south of the Turkish border and to the west of the Euphrates river.
Syrian rebels earlier said they had started an attack on Manbij, according to a statement posted on Sunday but dated Dec. 7 (Saturday) on X by the Ministry of Defense of the Syrian Interim Government.
The YPG has been a central element of U.S.-allied forces in a coalition against Islamic State militants. Ankara says the YPG is a terrorist group, closely tied to Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants who have fought the Turkish state for 40 years.
(Reporting by Ece Toksabay; Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Jonathan Spicer)
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