Opposition Syrian National Army liberates Manbij from US-backed PKK/YPG terrorist group

AL BAB, Syria

The opposition Syrian National Army (SNA) on Monday liberated the district of Manbij from the US-backed PKK/YPG terrorist group, clearing the largest terrorist stronghold west of the Euphrates River.

As part of the Operation Dawn of Freedom, the SNA cleared the Ureimeh region in western Manbij and the Um Dadat village in the north before entering the district from its northern and western fronts, securing full control.


Manbij, long occupied by the US-backed PKK/YPG, had been a key hub for the group west of the Euphrates.


Efforts are now underway to clear the area of mines and traps left behind by the terrorists.

The SNA launched Operation Dawn of Freedom on Dec. 1 and liberated the Tel Rifaat district center from the PKK/YPG terror group the same day.

Strategic importance of Manbij

Despite promises from the US and Russia, the district remained under the control of PKK/YPG terrorists.


The group had seized Manbij between May and August 2016 during an offensive supported by the US.

At the time, the US assured Türkiye that PKK/YPG would withdraw after the area was cleared of Daesh/ISIS terror group, but this promise was not fulfilled.

Similarly, during the October 2019 Peace Spring Operation, Russia pledged to remove the PKK/YPG terror group from Manbij as part of an agreement with Türkiye.

However, terrorists never vacated the district.

Manbij held central importance in PKK/YPG’s plan to establish a terrorist corridor stretching from the Syria-Iraq border to the Mediterranean.


Türkiye disrupted these plans during 2016 Operation Euphrates Shield by blocking a direct connection between Afrin, Tel Rifaat, and Manbij.

Congratulatory message from Syrian Interim Government

Abdurrahman Mustafa, the head of the Syrian Interim Government, congratulated the people of Manbij and the SNA on liberating the district.


Posting on the social media platform X, Mustafa described the victory as a critical step toward restoring Syria’s sovereignty.

He called for the continued liberation of Syrian territories and emphasized the aspiration of the Syrian people for freedom and dignity.

*Writing by Gizem Nisa Cebi in Istanbul