November 13, 2018

Four killed in armed attack on Manbij security forces

Featuring Nicholas Heras

Source: Kurdistan 24

Journalist Wladimir Van Wilgenburg

The media office of the Manbij Internal Security Forces on Tuesday said armed ‘gangs,’ at just past midnight on Tuesday, attacked the al-Shuweiha checkpoint on the outskirts of the city.

The media office in its statement said that members of the Internal Security Forces were ambushed while “doing their duty” at the checkpoint.

According to preliminary investigations by the authorities, the attack was carried out with a silenced pistol (9/14 mm), which resulted “in the martyrdom of elements of the Internal Security Forces.”

The attack was claimed by the so-called Islamic State (IS) through their official media channels.

IS alleged they had killed four security members at a checkpoint using machine guns and silencers in the village of al-Shuweiha. After the attack, the fighters safely returned from their operation, the jihadist group continued.

The attack comes weeks after the start of joint Turkish-US patrols, and Turkish-backed armed groups have also targeted positions of the Manbij Military Council (MMC) with heavy weaponry. Turkish cross-border shelling near Tal Abyad, Kobani, and Manbij have occurred despite Turkish and US troops carried out another joint patrol on Nov. 8.

Read the full article and more on Kurdistan 24.

Authors

  • Nicholas Heras

    Fellow, Middle East Security Program

    Nicholas A. Heras is a Fellow at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), working in the Middle East Security Program. He is also a Senior Analyst at the Jamestown Found...