KURDISH militia liberated the northern Syrian town of Manbij from Islamic State (Isis) over the weekend, ending a bloody two-month siege.

Isis also came under pressure in neighbouring Iraq yesterday, where Kurdish Peshmerga forces liberated five villages east of the extremists’ “capital” Mosul in preparation for army operations to free the city.

In Manbij, women cast off their veils and men shaved their beards in celebration after the US-backed YPG took the last Isis-held districts late on Friday.