Children seriously injured in ongoing attacks on Manbij

Our on-ground correspondent reports that the village of Tehne in western Minbic continues to experience relentless attacks by mercenaries with affiliations to Turkey, resulting in grave harm to innocent civilians. In the most recent incident, three children from a single family suffered serious injuries due to a Turkish assault. Our correspondent identifies the injured youths as Wiam El Casim (15), Ibrahim El Casim (12), and Celal El Casim (14), all of whom have been transported to a medical facility for immediate treatment.

The hospital’s senior surgeon, Ahmed al-Ali, reported that three injured children had been taken to hospital. According to the doctor, they were injured as a result of shelling on Minbic and surrounding areas. The children had to undergo an emergency surgery. Ahmed al-Ali said two of the children had their stomachs ripped open by shrapnel, which meant that doctors had to remove their spleens. He added that all three were in a critical condition in intensive care.

In a coordinated effort, the Minbic Military Council and the Jabhat al-Akrad federation successfully thwarted a series of attacks. According to an official press release by Jabhat al-Akrad, a substantial contingent of mercenaries with allegiance to Turkey launched an assault on the village of al-Bughaz on September 6th. This incursion escalated into intense skirmishes, resulting in the demise of over 15 assailants and injuries to 30 others. Furthermore, two military vehicles belonging to the insurgents were obliterated during the confrontation. The retreating mercenaries abandoned a significant cache of ammunition and weaponry on the battlefield.

Jabhat al-Akrad has reported that among the casualties there were individuals who were identified as members of the Islamic State (ISIS), some of whom were seen wearing badges associated with the terrorist organization. This assertion finds corroboration in video footage captured to the west of Minbic, as shared on the X platform by Farhad Shami, the head of the SDF media center. The video reveals at least one individual openly displaying an ISIS badge. In a tweet, Shami remarked, “Media outlets aligned with Turkish-backed mercenaries have released footage of the so-called tribal fighters responsible for the Manbij assault today. They are observed wearing badges linked to ISIS, reinforcing our prior assertion that they are, in fact, individuals affiliated with al-Nusra and ISIS, and not tribal combatants.”