There was jubilation in the streets of Manbij, Syria, when the Islamic State was ousted from the beleaguered city on Sunday. Citizens were finally freed from the strict Sharia law imposed by the extremists, celebrated by shaving beards and smoking cigarettes. Some freedoms that were withheld by ISIS were enjoyed within hours of their expulsion from the city.
Manbij was seized by ISIS two years ago and used as an essential point along the road from Raqqa, which some consider to be ISIS’ capital, to Turkey. Gordon Trowbridge, Deputy Press Secretary to the Pentagon, said Manbij was a place used by militants “for dispatching operatives across the Turkish border for potential use in external operations.”
The fall of ISIS in Manbij was not only the liberation of a city, but a liberation of a people. Reports have surfaced recently that ISIS has been using the civilians of the cities they hold as human shields against artillery fire from opposing government forces. Civilian casualties have been a result of Islamic State tactics to confuse their opponents.
ISIS also robbed the people of essentials to life. Food, water, and medical supplies were redirected from the people entrapped in a war-torn city to the jihadist fighters. Throughout Syria, Syrian government forces, Russians, and Americans have sought to give humanitarian aid to those who need it, but how much of that aid actually helps the people remains unknown.
The priority for civilian rescue is often in the midst of firefights and engaging the enemy. A Syrian Democratic Force soldier described the process to Kurdistan 24, a broadcasting station in northern Iraq.
“Any civilian who attempts to leave, they’ll immediately shoot at him or her. While my colleagues provide cover, we get people out… We provided food to some of the civilians and took them to safety. We only still need to liberate about 5% of the area”
The fall of ISIS in Manbij interrupts a direct connection between Raqqa and Turkey. The Syrian Democratic Forces, who assaulted the city since May, are a coalition of Arab and Kurdish fighters backed by the United States.
