The northern Syrian city of Manbij was fully liberated from the control of the Islamic State on Friday after two years — and there was much to be celebrated.

The women ripped off their black burqas and smoked cigarettes, while men cut their beards and flashed the peace sign, according to The Telegraph.

Footage from Kurdistan 24 showed people cheering and dancing in the streets.

The Syrian Democratic Forces — which are U.S.-backed — declared the city fully liberated from the terror group, saying they were "starting a new history after closing the book of darkness."

One woman sobbed as forces arrived to rescue them, reportedly saying, "Why did you take so long?" She had been trapped in her basement for a week with her two daughters and father after the Islamic State threatened to kill anyone who tried to escape the city.

The operation to liberate Manbij — which had been under Islamic State control for nearly two years — began in May. It progressed slowly after the terror group used civilians as human shields, forcing forces to go house-to-house to clear them.

Manbij is roughly 25 miles from the Turkish border, which made it a significant and symbolic city for the Islamic State to control. It was considered a hub for smuggling weapons and European recruits. Locals also called it "Little London," as it had such a large number of British jihadists.

The chief of the United States mission to fight the Islamic State, Brett McGurk, confirmed on Twitter that the city center had been liberated, adding that terror group was losing ground in its Libyan stronghold of Sirte.

The Pentagon's Deputy Press Secretary Gordon Trowbridge told journalists Friday that the liberation of Manbij is the latest significant milestone in the coalition's efforts to cut off and eliminate a hub of [Islamic State] activity located outside Syria."