Footage of a masked fighter wearing an Islamic State (ISIS) arm patch inspecting vehicles at a checkpoint controlled by the Turkish-backed rebel Syrian National Army (SNA) near Manbij (Minbîc), northern Syria, was aired live on Turkish television channel HaberTürk on 9 December, during a news programme covering SNA operations near the city.
Backed by Turkish drones and warplanes, SNA mercenaries have launched intense attacks on the city of Manbij, which is under the control of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and established checkpoints around the city. Meanwhile, heavy clashes continue in and around Manbij between the SNA and the Manbij Military Council, which is supported by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
In the live broadcast, a HaberTürk reporter on the scene appears to move comfortably among the fighters, seemingly unfazed by the fact that one is wearing an ISIS patch. Ironically, while the fighter with the ISIS patch stands in armed guard of the adjacent car, the reporter states that the area of Manbij was only “gained by ISIS for a while”.
The filmed SNA fighters, which the reporter refers to as as “opposition forces”, are known for committing war crimes such as executions and kidnapping, with recent video evidence showing the SNA executing injured civilians and SDF fighters in a hospital in Manbij.
This is not the first time that cooperation between Turkey and ISIS has been captured on camera. In October 2014, footage showed ISIS fighters crossing the Turkish-Syrian border from the Turkish side Kobani in broad daylight, within sight of a Turkish military checkpoint.
