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DAMASCUS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- The U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) agreed on Thursday to a cease-fire in an Islamic State (IS)-controlled town in northern Syria, on condition of a full IS withdrawal, local Kurdish media said.
The SDF agreed to a "full cessation of military operations in the town of Manbej and its countryside... the release of prisoners from both sides, and opening a passage for the IS out of that area," according to the Kurdish ARA News.
The new deal came amid an offensive by the SDF, under heavy U.S.-led air cover, to recapture Manbej, a strategic town under IS control near the Turkish borders.
The deal also came after French warplanes, part of the U.S-led anti-terror coalition that has been striking IS positions since late 2014, were accused to have killed over 120 civilians in Manbej recently.
Meanwhile, the report said, the deal also includes a pledge from the IS not to booby-trap the town ahead of their withdrawal.
The SDF, which has completely besieged the town, agreed to give the IS militants 48 hours to evacuate, it said in a statement, which described the initiative as the "only, and last chance for the trapped IS militants to leave the town's districts."
However, the ARA report said the IS position on the deal is not yet clear.
The SDF is a recently formed rebel group supported by the U.S. and led by the Kurdish People's Protection Units. The declared goal of the group is to liberate northern Syrian cities from the IS.
