The Syria Democratic Forces (SDF), a predominantly Kurdish group, encircled the town after capturing dozens of villages and farms near the Turkish border.
The SDF-affiliated Manbij Military Council confirmed that its fighters are ready to liberate Manbij "in the next few hours." Manbij, one of IS's largest strongholds in Syria's Aleppo province, is a waypoint on a key supply line between IS de facto capital of Raqqa and the Turkish frontier.
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