There Is Hope

Hundreds of Civilians Freed From ISIS in Syria

Many had been used as human shields.

Hundreds of civilians have been freed from the Islamic State in northern Syria, as the group was forced to retreat from Manbij in the face of advancing U.S.-backed forces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said late Friday that hundreds of civilians held by the terror group had been released, as dramatic images of the freed civilians crying in joy flooded the Internet. Many of those freed had been used by ISIS as human shields against air strikes. The battle for Manbij had been ongoing since May, when the Syrian Democratic Forces first launched an assault on the ISIS-held city. About 437 civilians, including more than 100 children, were killed during the fight for Manbij, according to the observatory.