[BeauBo]

Yesterday (29 Dec) South Front (Russian source) reported ""The US-led coalition has intensified its air and missile strikes on the remaining ISIS positions in the middle Euphrates River Valley" with 100 airstrikes in a 24 hour period. Also, they have been reporting that SDF ground forces have increased their pace of clearing the remaining Hajin pocket over the last week - that ISIS is no longer putting up determined resistance, but increasingly trying to escape in small cells without heavy weapons.

Iranian sources were reporting that a convoy of 200 American trucks carrying military supplies recently entered Syria (after the President's withdrawal announcement), and that a coalition military base is being established near Hajin (likely for SDF).

US Forces Remain in Manbij for now, as do the French. Conflicting reports on whether Assad regime forces are deploying into Manbij, and whether SDF is moving out. South Front separately reported that Turkey is ordering their FSA (jihadi) troops back from the front near Manbij.

[AAABEST]

[BobL]

I’m starting to think that the reason we’re leaving is that we don’t want to be around the neighborhood when the (well-deserved) bloodbath of ISIS takes place.

[PIF]

Small caption reads, "The Syrian Army eliminated 3 ISIS members"; the large caption reads, "According to the SOHR, 1,000 ISIS members have been killed since the start of the final phase of the SDF advance".

[McGruff]

...a convoy of 200 American trucks carrying military supplies recently entered Syria...

I hope they are being protected.

[mrsmith]

Couple of biased, but factual tweeters:
https://twitter.com/QalaatAlMudiq
https://twitter.com/CivilWarMap
So hard to find good media sources!

I believe some officers of the SAA made a ‘ceremonial’ entry into Manbij. The troops are actually in the surrounding countryside. MMC is in charge in the city.

CivilWatrMap reports Turk Jihadis are pulling back from Manbij and likely to attack from Turk border further East. Makes sense. The crux, to me, is what support SDF get from Syria and Russia against Turk attacks in the East. Strong incentive for Assad to let the Turks and Kurds kill each other off in ‘Rojava’.

[BeauBo]

Looks like there will be time for a battle handover for anyone who will to step up in Manbij, and that the ISIS pocket will be mopped up first in the South East (not Hajin anymore, maybe we could call it the al Bukamal pocket for a few weeks).

[familyop]

;-D

Lindsey Graham says Trump is 'slowing down' Syria withdrawal
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3716271/posts

Graham says 'I feel pretty good' about Syria after lunch with Trump
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3716272/posts

[Widget Jr]

That map brings up a point that most of the news is avoiding. ISIS is all but gone.