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These heartwarming pictures show Syrians burning niqabs, cutting off their beards and smoking cigarettes after being freed from ISIS control.

The Syria Democratic Forces, with air support from coalition fighters, said last week they had taken almost complete control of Manbij, where a small number of ISIS fighters had been holed up.

Some of the pictures show women smoking cigarettes – an activity that is prohibited by the jihadis because it is against the harsh form of Sharia law.

In others groups of men can be seen cutting off their beards while women are photographed burning their niqabs.

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters)

(Image: Reuters)

The SDF's offensive, which began at the end of May, aimed to remove Islamic State from areas it controls along the Turkish border, which was for years a route through which the group moved fighters and weapons.

Its campaign quickly captured the countryside surrounding Manbij, but slowed once fighting entered the city.

The group said it had been avoiding a large-scale assault inside the city out of concern for civilians.

The SDF said it was now conducting a final sweep of Manbij before they officially announce the operation is complete.

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters)

Friday's attack is "the last operation and the last assault," said Sharfan Darwish, a spokesman for the Syrian Arab and Kurdish forces.

Darwish said roughly 100 Islamic State fighters were left in the centre of the city, and that they were using civilians as human shields.

Several civilians were killed trying to flee, he said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights later said around 500 cars had left Manbij carrying Islamic State members and civilians.

(Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters) (Image: Reuters)

They were heading northeast towards Jarablus, a town under Islamic State control on the Turkish border, the Observatory said.

The convoy carried the final Islamic State members leaving the city, under an agreement between the fighting parties that would not be announced officially, the Observatory said, marking the end of the operation.