Forces in Syria’s Manbij kill ISIS suspect carrying bomb-making materials

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – A counter-terrorism unit from a local council in the northern Syrian city of Manbij killed a man in possession of bomb-making materials on Tuesday while he was attempting to escape capture on a motorcycle. 

According to a statement by the US-backed Manbij Military Council (MMC), one of its patrols first observed suspicious behavior by the man on the road leading to Awn Dadat village, north of the city. 

MMC forces decided to pursue the individual who then tried to speed away on the motorcycle, resulting in the patrol shooting and killing him. Following his death, security forces found advanced claymore mines, electronics, batteries, and other equipment used in bomb-making. 

Despite the announcement by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the US-led coalition of the defeat of the Islamic State’s so-called caliphate in Syria in March, attacks by the group continue as security forces continue to detain militants in previously liberated territories. 

Nicholas A. Heras, a Middle East security analyst at the Washington-based Center for a New American Security, told Kurdistan 24 that Manbij is a “playground” for the enemies of the SDF. 

“The Assad regime, Turkey, and ISIS are all seeking to make that city ungovernable for the SDF and its US-led Coalition partners,” he told Kurdistan 24. 

“Although the Manbij Military Council is doing heroic work trying to keep sleeper cells in the city under control, it is an open secret that the security structures in Manbij are weaker without an active YPG presence. Manbij is a city where the SDF does not completely own the night.”

On Sept. 25, security forces in Manbij captured two Islamic State suspects, including Issa Muhammed who is known for making vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) for the group. 

“Hard work by SDF continues to hunt ISIS sleeper cells to keep security and stability for all people in Northeast Syria,” the SDF’s Coordination and Military Operations Centre said.  

In January, Manbij security forces arrested Abdul Aziz Mohammed Al-Shaji, an Islamic State member suspected of involvement in the bombing of a popular Manbij restaurant a week earlier that killed 19 people, including four Americans. 

Manbij was liberated by the SDF in 2016 in one of the bloodiest campaigns Syria has witnessed against the Islamic State. It is also at the center of tensions related to Turkey’s repeated threats to invade the area amid negotiations for a “safe zone” along the Turkish-Syrian border. 

Read More: Turkey threatens to set ’ up’ safe zone’’ in Syria unilaterally 

The embattled city is located near territory controlled by Russian-backed Syrian government forces and anti-Syrian militias supported by the Turkish government. 

Editing by John J. Catherine