WITH ASSAD GONE, NEW ERA STARTS IN SYRIA AS THE WORLD WATCHES – Turkish backed rebels take the town of Manbij
The U.S.-backed Kurdish forces have clashed with Turkey-backed rebels in the north and a video, verified by Reuters and released on Sunday, December 8th, showed rebels entering the town of Manbij, captured from the Kurdish forces.
The Turkey-backed rebels were seen celebrating as they drove in armoured vehicles through the streets and greeting residents.
Reuters was able to confirm the location as Manbij from the landmarks, buildings and road layout seen in the video which matched file and satellite imagery of the area. The date of the video could not be independently verified. However, report from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Syrian opposition forces have taken control of the town. Turkish security source also told Reuters that opposition groups have taken Manbij.
Syria’s opposition comprises a broad spectrum from moderate groups such as the Syrian National Army (SNA), backed by regional power broker Turkey, which opposes Kurdish influence, to jihadi elements within the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), each with its own vision for Syria’s future, ranging from secular democracy to Islamic governance.
Turkish-backed forces dominate in the north, while U.S.-aligned Kurdish groups, such as the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), hold sway in northeastern Syria.
In a sign of the tensions between the groups, the Turkish backed SNA seized swathes of territory, including the city of Tel Refaat, from U.S.-backed Kurdish forces at the start of the recent offensive. On Sunday, a Turkish security source said the rebels entered the northern city of Manbij after pushing the Kurds back again.
