SDF condemns Manbij car bombing, denies involvement

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) condemned a Friday night car bombing that hit the center of Manbij city without inflicting casualties. The Kurdish-led force denied any involvement. 

“We condemn the terrorist explosion that took place in the city of Manbij yesterday evening, and we reject any accusation that our forces were involved in it,” the SDF said in a statement early Saturday morning.

The car bombing took place near a mosque in the downtown and only caused material damage, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based war monitor that relies on a network of sources within Syria.

The SDF called on the people of Manbij and its “wise men to join forces to uncover the real perpetrators among the ranks of the Turkish occupation mercenaries.”

Manbij fell under the control of a coalition of militia groups supported by Turkey days after the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime at the beginning of this month. The SDF had held the city since liberating it from the Islamic State (ISIS) in 2016. 

Another explosion took place in the city on Tuesday. Two people were killed and four others were injured, the Observatory reported.