The Manbij offensive was a military campaign launched by the pro-Turkish Syrian National Army (SNA) and the Turkish Air Force against Syrian Democratic Forces positions in Manbij lasting from 6 to 11 December 2024. It was a part of Operation Dawn of Freedom in the Turkish–Syrian National Army offensive in Northern Syria (2024–2025), and occurred concurrently with the Deir ez-Zor offensive and the wider Syrian opposition offensives. The SDF withdrew their troops on 12 December after five days of conflict following a US-brokered ceasefire agreement.

Following the capture of Tell Rifaat, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) announced a military campaign targeting Manbij, a strategic city in the eastern Aleppo countryside. This offensive held particular significance as Manbij represented the final Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled territory west of the Euphrates River, where the group maintained its presence with U.S. military support. The opposition's military operations occurred as part of Operation Dawn of Freedom simultaneously with Operation Deterrence of Aggression, which advanced from Idlib toward Homs.

The Dawn of Freedom operations room, a component of the SNA, articulated that while their primary objective remained the removal of the Assad government, they were compelled to engage the SDF due to what they characterized as attacks on opposition-held villages in the Aleppo countryside. The operations room issued civilian safety advisories for Manbij residents, requesting they maintain distance from military installations.

Turkish authorities reportedly rejected Russian-mediated communication attempts with the SDF, maintaining their position that the group represented a Syrian extension of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Prior to the offensive, Turkey had issued military ultimatums to the SDF demanding their withdrawal east of the Euphrates River, which the SDF declined to accept.

On 4 December 2024, SDF reported clashes in Dayr Hafir and in the southern Manbij region and confirmed casualties among the SNA.

Military analysts stated that the offensive aligned with Turkish initiatives to establish a security corridor along Syria's northern border. This strategic plan aimed to create a 30-kilometer deep buffer zone in territories controlled by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had emphasized the operation's connection to national security concerns, specifically citing activities of Kurdish militant groups in Turkey and Syria.

Beginning on 6 December 2024, the SNA initiated extensive and escalating military operations in the eastern countryside of Aleppo Governorate. The operations featured intensive drone surveillance and artillery strikes targeting multiple villages located to the northwestern countryside of Manbij under SDF control, including Aoun al-Dadat, al-Daraj, Umm Jaloud, Sayada, and Umm Adas. The Manbij Military Council (MMC), operating under SDF command, reported reconnaissance aircraft alleged by the SDF to belong to Turkey conducted repeated bombing missions. The council also reported that Turkish drone operations occurred approximately twenty times along the Turkish-SDF border region on three different fronts, including towards Manbij and neighboring Al-Bab.

According to Council leader Sherfan Darwish, SDF forces successfully repelled infiltration attempts along the front line. According to the MMC, the SDF maintained control over Manbij city and its surrounding countryside, the town of Al-Arima near Al-Bab, and Tabqa in Raqqa Governorate. Despite circulation of footage showing SNA military buildups near Manbij, which the MMC claimed included Turkish mercenaries, the SDF leadership dismissed these as dated material, characterizing them as components of an information warfare campaign. The administration issued statements declaring their readiness to resist the offensive, characterizing the Turkish-backed operations as a threat to regional stability and inter-communal relations.