Manbij civilians protest PKK/PYD killings

By Mohamad Misto and Adham Kako

MANBIJ, Syria/ANKARA (AA) - Hundreds of civilians in Syria's northern Manbij city have protested the killing of two young people by the PKK/PYD terrorist organization.

Hannan Al-Jarivah, 25, and Abbud Al-Minkhan, 23, were tortured to death by PKK/PYD terrorists on Friday.

The bodies of the two young men, with one’s head cut off, were found in a village some 20 kilometers ( 12 miles) east of Manbij.

Tension escalated into a gun battle between the PKK/PYD terrorists and angry civilians after families of the two victims recognized the bodies of their children after activists shared their photos on social media.

Hundreds of people took to the streets of the city following the weekly Friday prayer to demonstrate the killings, amid calls for PKK/PYD to immediately leave the city.

An Arab-populated city located on the west bank of the Euphrates river, Manbij remains under the control of the PYD, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group, which has waged war against Turkey for more than 30 years.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and EU as well as Turkey -- resumed its armed campaign in July 2015. Since then, it has killed more than 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians, including women and children.