On Wednesday, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) sent military reinforcements to the Manbij countryside in northern Syria.
A local source informed the +963 Media website, stating: “The National Army factions deployed reinforcements to areas under their control in the countryside of Manbij and al-Bab, located in the eastern Aleppo countryside.”
According to the source, the reinforcements were launched from Azaz and al-Bab in northern Aleppo, consisting of military columns of tanks, vehicles, cannons, and other military equipment. Some of the reinforcements were stationed in the towns of Maskana and Deir Hafer, located east of Aleppo.
A source close to the National Army told +963 Media that the factions are preparing to launch a military operation in the Manbij axis, although the attack has been delayed. The postponement is due to the ongoing evacuation of residents from the Ashrafieh and Sheikh Maqsoud neighbourhoods in Aleppo, and the withdrawal of Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from these areas.
In early December, the National Army took control of Tal Rifaat and the Shahba area, north of Aleppo, following the withdrawal of the Afrin Liberation Forces. A Kurdish military official from the town told +963 Media at the time that the Afrin Liberation Forces withdrew to safeguard civilians and avoid bloodshed.
This military operation led to the displacement of about 150,000 residents from Tal Rifaat and the Shahba region, with more than 120,000 of them relocating to Tabqa in the northern Raqqa countryside. Sheikh Ahmed, director of the Office of Displaced Affairs in the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, confirmed the numbers to +963 Media, adding that the displaced included people from Afrin, Shahba, Tal Rifaat, as well as some residents of Safira, Nubl, and Zahra who fled due to the recent military escalation.
Residents of Manbij fear that any potential military operation or takeover by the National Army could trigger a new wave of displacement, similar to the one that followed the capture of Shahba and Tal Rifaat.
This article was translated and edited by The Syrian Observer. The Syrian Observer has not verified the content of this story. Responsibility for the information and views set out in this article lies entirely with the author.
