The international coalition against Daesh is tracking hundreds of militants believed to have fled the Syrian town of Manbij with its civilian population shortly before its liberation by opposition troops last week.

“Civilians were observed in the convoy intermingled with fighters in every vehicle,” coalition spokesman Colonel Chris Garver was quoted as saying.

Col. Garver believes that 100 to 200 Daesh militants managed to flee Manbij hidden among civilians or human shields that the group took with them as fighters of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) made their way into the city.

“We're keeping track of them. I don't want to talk too much about that. It's an ongoing operation,” Col. Garver said.

Col. Garver was quoted as saying that convoys seen leaving Manbij were not fired on by the coalition or the SDF as was done against the group’s convoy in Fallujah, because the convoys carried a mix of militants and civilians.

“We had to treat them all as noncombatants. We didn't shoot. We kept watching,” he told reporters. 

Source : MENA