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Manbij attack kills two
Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria's northeastern Aleppo province that the Syrian Defence Ministry said killed two soldiers.
“Islamic State claimed responsibility on Saturday for an attack near the city of Manbij”
The claim came in a statement on the group's Telegram channel, and Reuters reported it could not independently verify the claim.
Earlier on Saturday, the Defence Ministry said two soldiers had been killed by unidentified assailants near Manbij but provided no further details.
The attack unfolded amid a series of assaults claimed by Islamic State since February, when the jihadist group announced what it described as a new phase of operations against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
Competing accounts and context
The Syrian Defence Ministry said two soldiers were killed in an attack near Manbij, while the Islamic State claim was made in a statement on the group's Telegram channel.
Shafaq News reported that the attack was carried out by unidentified gunmen near Manbij and that no details were released on how the attack unfolded or on the identity of those responsible.
Roya News similarly said the Syrian Ministry of Defense reported two soldiers were killed by unidentified gunmen near Manbij in northeastern Syria without providing further details.
The Jerusalem Post | Israeli also tied the incident to broader developments, saying the Syrian government has expanded its control in parts of northern and eastern Syria and that U.S. forces have begun withdrawing from some positions in the country's northeast.
What comes next
The Jerusalem Post | Israeli said the attack came as Islamic State assaults increased after February, when the group announced a new phase of operations against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa.
“the imminent withdrawal of about a thousand soldiers from Syria”
RFI reported that the U.S. Department of Defense announced on Friday, April 18, the imminent withdrawal of about a thousand soldiers from Syria out of roughly 2,000 deployed to fight jihadists.
RFI quoted a Pentagon spokesperson, saying the objective is to "bring the American presence in Syria to less than a thousand soldiers in the coming months."
RFI also framed the stakes by saying authorities fear ISIS could take advantage of political instability after the fall of the Assad regime on Dec. 8, 2024, to strengthen itself and attempt to release detainees.
