ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian army announced on Friday that its forces had entered the northern city of Manbij following a call by the Kurdish YPG for government troops to control the city and "protect these areas against a Turkish invasion."
"Stemming from the complete commitment of the Syrian Army in assuming its responsibilities to impose sovereignty to each inch of the Syrian territories and in response to calls of locals of Menbej city, the General Command of the Army and Armed Forces announces the entry of units of Syrian Arab Army to Menbej city and the hoisting of the Syrian Arab flag," read a statement from the army using a different spelling from Manbij, reported state-run SANA news Agency.
The deployment came after the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) declared their withdrawal and invited government forces to enter the city.
"Due to the invading Turkish state’s threats to invade northern Syria and displace its people similarly to al-Bab, Jarablus and Afrin, we as the People’s Protection Units, following the withdrawal of our forces from Manbij, announce that our forces will be focusing on the fight against ISIS on all the fronts east of the Euphrates," read a statement from YPG.
It added that this fact pushed them to invited the Syrian army which is "obliged to protect the same country, nation and borders" and also protect Manbij from Turkish threats.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told the media Friday afternoon that with the withdrawal of YPG in Manbij "there will be nothing for us to do there," reiterating that he is with the territorial integrity of Syria
The deployment has not been independently verified. However, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported the deployment of "hundreds" of the regime forces to the outskirts of the city.
SOHR also reported clashed between SDF - the YPG-led force which has been in control of Manbij since its liberation from ISIS - and ISIS in east of Euphrates.
Russian Foreign Minister, Sergey Lavrov, welcomed the development.
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