Manbij militia, Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), to hand villages to army

A US-allied Syrian militia has said it will hand over villages west of the town of Manbij to the army in order to stop Turkish-backed "rebels" taking them.

The Manbij Military Council, part of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) alliance, announced it had "transferred defence of the frontline".

The move came after a deal was agreed with Russia, a staunch ally of President Bashar al-Assad, it added.
The villages have been a focus of fighting in recent days.

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government or Turkey, whose troops have been supporting a rebel offensive aimed at driving Islamic State militants from a border area north-west of Manbij and limiting gains by Kurdish fighters.

Syria's military has accused Turkey of a "flagrant violation of Syrian sovereignty".
BBC
2/3/17
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