<p>Following the capture of the Raqqa Children’s Hospital in southwestern Raqqa city on July 25, Kurdish forces found a number of families besieged by nearby fighting. On July 28, dozens were evacuated by US-backed Manbij Military Council fighters.</p><p>The Manbij Military Council, a faction of the Syrian Democratic Forces comprised of Kurds, Turkmen, and Arabs, was established in 2016 during the launch of the US-backed Raqqa Offensive</a>. While their primary base of operations is in the Manbij District, they were recently deployed towards Raqqa during the fourth stage of the offensive to retake the city. Credit: Manbij Military Council via Storyful</p><br />
