The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

As a result of regime’s operation in the eastern countryside of Aleppo… thousands of civilians flee to Manbij which it western countryside is witnessing continued clashes between Manbij military Council against “Euphrates Shield” forces

Places in the northeastern countryside of Aleppo are still witnessing escalated tension between the areas which are controlled by Manbij Military Council and the forces of “Euphrates Shield” operation. The Syrian Observatory for human rights was informed by several intersecting sources that the hit-and-run clashes continue in the contact points between both parties in the western and southern countryside of Manbij since the outbreak of the first round of clashes between them on the 2nf of March 2017, and Manbij Military Council were able to control Jeb al-Humira village which is located between their controlled areas and the areas controlled by the regime forces and the factions of “Euphrates Shield”.

The clashes, which did not subside until now come in parallel with a wide displacement movement toward areas controlled by Manbij Military Council during the past few days and weeks, where tens of thousands of citizens including thousands of children and women have displaced from areas controlled by Manbij Military Council and it surroundings, while the abilities to provide full assistance to the displaced civilians are low, in conjunction with displacement of other thousands of citizens towards areas controlled by the forces of “Euphrates Shield” in Azaz area and its countryside in the northern countryside of Aleppo, while the Syrian Observatory for human rights learned that the majority of the displaced people come from areas controlled by the regime forces recently in a the eastern and northeastern countryside of Aleppo, of which the regime forces are still seeking to advancement to.

This advancement contributed in reducing the distances towards the strategic town of Al-Khafseh near the west bank of the Euphrates; the first area in the countryside of Deir Hafer is about 15 kilometers away of Al-Khafseh area, while the regime is still about 18 km away of Al-Khafseh area from its controlled area in the southwestern countryside of al-Bab, where the regime forces supported by gunmen loyal to them and the elite forces of the Lebanese Hezbollah and with the support from the Russian artillery, are trying to disperse the “Islamic State” organization and weaken it, through the intense shelling and successive advancement, to reach Al-Khafseh water station and regain control of it, in order to restore the water pumping to the second major Syrian cities: Aleppo, where hundreds of thousands of its citizens are suffering from thirst for nearly 7 consecutive weeks, where the thirst forced tens of thousands of citizens to seek alternative means to get water, like purchasing water or transporting water to the houses from the wells drilled in specific streets and places in the city, and from wells of the swimming pools and other means that save the citizens from the thirst, with the exploitation of traders and salesmen to the water disruption and continuing to raise the prices of bottled water.