MESOP INSIDE: US BACKED FORCES ENTER STRATEGIC CITY OF MANBIJ / THE ONLY FULL & DETAILED REPORT UP TO DATE (CLICK FOR BOTTOM LINKS)

The Syria Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed coalition of Kurdish and Sunni Arab groups, reportedly entered the strategic Islamic State-held city of Manbij this morning. A U.S. official said yesterday that the city had been successfully cut off from supply networks, but that military planners expected strong resistance from Islamic State militants. The presence of large numbers of Kurdish fighters in the attack on the Sunni Arab-majority city has raised tensions within the coalition of U.S.-supported groups fighting the Islamic State. Those tensions have spilled over into direct conflict in recent weeks between Kurds and the Free Syrian Army in Aleppo. At least 3,000 residents of Manbij have fled ahead of the fighting.

Four U.S. soldiers were wounded on June 9 when an anti-tank round believed to have been fired by Islamic State fighters exploded near them during operations in northern Syria, CNN reports. The U.S. Department of Defense, despite discussing U.S. casualties in other incidents, has declined to verify the report. The men’s wounds were reportedly mild and they have since returned to combat. The Islamic State asserted responsibility for killing three Russian soldiers in a roadside bomb attack outside of Raqqa. Russian officials have not yet commented on the claim.

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