One Killed, 19 More Wounded in Bomb Blast at Anti-Turkey Protest in Manbij

The Kurdish-language Hawar news reported on Thursday that residents of al-Haya region in Manbij held protest rallies against the Turkish and US military forces’ deployment.

It added that at least 1 civilian was killed and 22 others were wounded in the explosion.

The US and Turkish forces started the 9th stage of their patrolling mission in the region on Wednesday based on a roadmap on Manbij.

Last month, the US and Turkish forces started joint patrolling missions in the outskirts of Manbij in Eastern Aleppo.

Turkey’s Daily Sabah newspaper reported that a convoy of Turkish forces, supported by the US helicopters, has entered Manbij in Northern Syria.

Meantime, Sky News also confirmed the start of joint patrolling operations.

Also, field sources said that the American forces have been missioned with patrolling the Southern parts of al-Sajour region which is under the control of the Manbij military council and close to the areas controlled by the Ankara-backed militants, adding that the Turkish forces have started patrolling mission in Northern Sajour which has been occupied by Operation Euphrates Shield militants.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu had said in June that implementation of a roadmap for the withdrawal of the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from the Northern Syrian city of Manbij is expected to begin after his meeting with his recent meeting with US counterpart Mike Pompeo.

Turkey considers the YPG as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

“After giving approval to the Manbij (issue) in the east of the Euphrates (river) tomorrow (June 4) as two ministers, we will begin to implement it, which may be a turning point for bilateral relations,” Çavuşoğlu said at an iftar (fast-breaking) program in Washington on June 3.