US Commander Visits Manbij, Pledges 'Strong Support'

Gen Joseph L Votel, commander of US Central Command, visited the disputed Syrian city of Manbij on June 21, according to Kurdish reports.

Votel and US delegates met with the Democratic Civil Administration of the city, and its military council.

Votel said the purpose of his visit was to show “strong support for the Manbij Military Council and the civil administration of Manbij, and to visit the [US] soldiers we have here.”

Manbij was recaptured from Islamic State in 2016, in an offensive by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces. US support for the Kurds met with disapproval from Turkey, and the two countries were reported earlier in June to have agreed a security deal for Manbij under which Turkish and US forces would remain, but Kurdish militias would withdraw.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told CNN Turk on June 21 that Kurdish fighters would begin withdrawing on July 4. Credit: ANHA via Storyful