DAMASCUS, July 16 (Xinhua) -- The Manbij Military Council, a U.S.-backed coalition force in Syria's northern city of Manbij, declared on Monday the full withdrawal of the Kurdish People Protection Units (YPG) from the city.
The withdrawal of the YPG from Manbij has long been demanded by Turkey, which rejects the presence of the YPG near its border as it deems it a terrorist group because of its links with the Kurdistan Workers Party, which is also branded as a terror group by Ankara.
The Manbij Military Council, which was formed in 2015, said in a statement that the last batch of YPG fighters left Manbij on Sunday after "completing its mission in providing military training to our forces."
The Manbij council is in an alliance with the Syrian Democratic Forces, which is also backed by the YPG.
Enjoying a considerable sway in northern Syria, these Kurdish-led groups have established a sort of self-declared autonomy.
However, Turkey, vowing to curb the expansion of such groups near its border, launched a massive military campaign in the predominantly Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the northern countryside of Aleppo earlier this year.
Meanwhile, the U.S. support to these groups also exacerbated the tension between Washington and Ankara, pushing both powers to agree earlier this year on a roadmap for Manbij, which is 30 km from the Turkish border.
Following the agreement, the Turkish and U.S. forces deployed on the outskirts of Manbij between the fighters inside the city and the Turkish-backed Syrian militants in its countryside.
It's worth noting that the U.S. and French forces are also stationed in Manbij alongside the Manbij council.
