Dawn of 12 Aug.... Manbij people will never forget -4

AKRAM BARAKAT/ MANBIJ

Despite of brutal practices of Islamic State 's gangs (IS) the horrific and suffocating siege, this did not undermine the will of Manbij's children and remained a rebellious against the reality made by Daesh, the situation was getting worse to people of Manbij to follow only two ways, either death by suffocation or honorable death, thus, people of Manbij requested assistance from Manbij Military Council which was established on 2 April 2016 of Manbij's children, to rid them of the oppression and injustice of the Islamic State 's gangs (IS).

On June 1, 2016, the Manbij Military Council, consisting of Shams al-Shamal Brigades, Thiwar Manbij, Tajamoh Alwiyat al-Firat, Jond al-Harrmin Brigade, al-Furat Martyrs Brigades, al-Qusi Brigades and Manbij Turkman Battalion launched a campaign on behalf of liberation campaign of Manbij and its countryside from grip Islamic State. On 5 June 2016, the campaign started from two fronts (the front of the Karkwazq Bridge and the front of the Tishrin dam) and four axes.

The campaign was launched in two phases, the first to liberate villages and rural Manbij of mercenaries and the second to liberate the entire city.

The first stage

The campaign progressed regularly, and Manbij Military Council had taken liberation of civilians from injustice and oppression of (IS) priority of its campaign. The council therefore formed special teams to rescue civilians and special teams to break the defenses of (IS) gangs.

On June 5, 2016, while the forces of Manbij Military Council advanced towards the strongholds of Islamic State's gangs east of Manbij. In the meantime, the commander of Shams al-Shamal Brigades, Faisal Abu Laila, martyred, and the campaign was named after Martyr Faisal Abu Laila Campaign to Liberate Manbij and its Countryside in honor of his memory and respect for his heroism during the revolution of Rojava and northern Syria.

In the spirit of revenge, the campaign continued and the fighters of the Manbij military council began liberating entire villages and surrounding Manbij city from grip of Islamic State from four eastern, western, southern and northern axes. During a period of one month, the fighters of Manbij Military Council were able to liberate more than 200 villages and 2000 of (IS) gangs were killed; more than 1.600 corpses were kept in the hands Manbij Military Council fighters. The fighters of Manbij Military Council liberated more than 75,000 civilians from the injustice and brutality of the mercenaries and were secured in places and villages under control of the Council.

Within a short period, the forces of the council were able to liberate dozens of villages and hamlets in the countryside, killing dozens of Islamic State and destroying their headquarters and vehicles, supported by international coalition aircrafts, in an easy, accurate and round-the-clock coordination. A month after the campaign was launched; the fighters of the council were able to liberate an area of 1,200 square kilometers, starting from the bridge of Qara Quazak and ending with on the edges of al-Bab area.

After liberating of the entire villages surrounding of Manbij city and the fighters of the Manbij Military Council cut off all the routes of supplies coming to Islamic State’s gangs, from al-Bab and Jarablus areas, the fighters of the Manbij Military Council began the second phase of the campaign.

The second phase of Manbij Liberation Campaign

After launching the second stage by Manbij Military Council to liberate Manbij city on July 1, 2016, progress on the field became more slow due to the many fortifications Daesh had put up at the entrances to the residential neighborhoods, while preventing civilians from leaving the city and using them as human shields to avoid aerial bombing of the coalition and shelling with heavy weapons by the forces of Manbij Military Council.

The attacks of the attacking forces were limited to special and precise operations by the special units (the special teams for liberation of civilians and the breakers of the IS lines defenses.) These forces raided the lines of the Daesh all of a sudden and wounded its elements individually. The teams often used light weapons and snipers to avoid harming civilians.

During the third years of its domination on Manbij, Daesh had built military bases and fortifications in the city setting up training camps for children and young people led to conscription and to "al-Sharia courses". Daesh brought many of them from the areas it occupied and committed horrific massacres, such as Şengal province, which was attacked In August 2014, and brought in young Yezidis to recruit them for "al-Sharia courses", in addition to the Yezidi girls who captured them, for sale and enslavement in the city.

The campaign continued until August 2, when the forces of Manbij Military Council broke all the defensive and frontlines of Islamic State's gangs (IS) and its concentration points in the city. 80% of the city was liberated and Daesh forces and ranks were dispersed within the city.

Manbij Civil Council as an equivalent to Manbij Military Manbij

In a month of the second phase of the campaign, the Manbij Military forces liberated 50,000 civilians from the city and were taken out of the city and handed over to Manbij Civil Council which was formed on April 5, 2016, during a large public meeting in Sareen area attended by dozens of people from Manbij. During which 43 members of the Council representing the various components of the ethnic and religious region were elected.

Taking off the black and shining in the light of freedom

After 73 days of continuous progress and destruction of the Daesh fortifications and the invading its ranks, at 12.00 on the 12th of August the fighters of Manbij Military Council launched the last attack on the remnants of Islamic State who were existing in al-Sarab neighborhoods' streets. The gangs were using civilians whom were captured as human shields, At 17.05, the fighters of the council were able to break the front lines of the mercenaries and free all civilians, and the mercenaries were finally eliminated.

The women wearing the black veil were seen taking it off and burning it, the men shove their  beards, in addition to other different expressions of joy and happiness to get rid of darkness, by virtue of Manbij Military Council fighters where the freedom to say and live.

Islamic State gangs has been broken

As Manbij area was liberated by sacrifices of Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) fighters, they were able to break the back of Islamic State's gangs (IS) in Manbij which was one of its strongholds in Syria and the main stronghold of Daesh foreigners and its logistical supply route from Turkey, and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) proved to be partner and the most powerful and organized ally of the international coalition against "Daesh" and is disciplined and committed to international treaties in the protection of civilians and prisoners of war and proved that they take into account the security of the people and do not endanger their lives even if this led to the delay of victory and sacrifice more of its fighters.

The most important step during liberation of Manbij city was the collapse of the Turkish state's schemes to build the buffer zone, the fall of the red lines, the weakening of Daesh so it retreated, and it was the strongest and last bet of the AKP within its strategic plan to liquidate the Kurds in North Syria in a desperate attempt to eradicate North Syria Federation and the pitting of components against each other.

(T/S)

ANHA