two more foreign YPG volunteers were killed in course of the fighting in the city: Dean Carl Evans, a British citizen, and Martin Gruden, a Slovenian citizen. SDF fighters continued to advance over the following days, capturing Mankuba village in Manbij's northern outskirts, as well as the al-Hal market, the al-Thor school, the Sinaa and al-Tal neighborhoods in the city itself following heavy clashes. By 5 August, the SDF claimed to have taken 90% of the city. Despite these recent successes, fighting in the city remained fierce, and SDF continued to send reinforcements into the city. Pro-opposition media reported that 300 Asayish who had been ordered to join the frontlines had refused to do so, resulting in their arrest. On late 6 August, the SDF overran ISIL positions in several parts of Manbij, bringing the city almost completely under their control. This led to a number of false reports that declared the city captured, even though fierce fighting continued for a number of ISIL pockets in the northern and central city; most importantly, ISIL fighters still held the Al-Sirb neighborhood and parts of the central market, where a minor ISIL counter-attack failed on the same day. The next day, the SDF claimed to have captured the İhyati Bakery, the central market, as well as the Bazaar and Sheikh Eqîl neighborhoods. Heavy fighting continued for several other parts of the city center, where ISIL fighters had taken many civilians hostage to use them as human shields. On 8 August, the SDF claimed that they had taken over 90% of the city center, with the ISIL forces mostly confined to a small pocket in the northern city. In the course of their retreat into the northern pocket, however, ISIL fighters had taken their civilian hostages with them. Due to this, the SDF offered a new deal to the Islamic State in Manbij in the form of free passage out of the city, if the militants released all civilians. In response the offer, the ISIL war committee sent a letter to Abu Yahya al-Shami, who had by then become commander of the surviving ISIL forces in Manbij. The ISIL leadership ordered him to not surrender or withdraw under any circumstances, but rather fight to the death. Any ISIL fighter who wanted to surrender or flee was to be killed, as were those who displayed a defeatist attitude or welcomed the defeat of ISIL