Syrian army takes control of Manbij

DAMASCUS: The Syrian army entered the key northern city of Manbij for the first time in six years on Friday, a spokesman said in a televised statement. The announcement came moments after the Kurds, left exposed by a US pledge to pull out its own troops, asked for the regime’s help to face a threatened Turkish offensive. The Syrian army spokesman said the national flag was raised in Manbij, a key city which lies about 30 kilometres south of the Turkish border. The People’s Protection Units (YPG), the main Kurdish militia in Syria, made its appeal following a shock announcement by its US ally last week of a full troop withdrawal from Syria.