Hundreds welcome arrival of pro-Assad militants in Afrin

Hundreds of people have gathered in the main square in the northern Syrian town of Afrin, welcoming pro-regime militants into the area by carrying the pictures of the PKK's leader Abdullah Ocalan.

TV footage showed militants in camouflage uniforms standing among scores of men who gathered in the main square waving posters of Syrian regime leader Bashar al Assad.

During Thursday's gathering, Turkish warplanes could be heard flying overhead, causing some of those gathering to flee the area.

The pro-Assad daily Al Watan said some 500 militants from the so-called Popular Forces have entered the Afrin region since Tuesday.

It said militants came to Afrin to defend it against Turkey's military operations there that have been ongoing since January 20.

National Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli on Thursday said no force could impede the result of Turkey’s ongoing fight against terrorism in Syria's Afrin.

Over allegations that the Syrian regime was sending troops to support the YPG/PKK terror group, he said: “Syrian armed unit, which was allegedly sent to Afrin, does not have the capacity to change the result of our fight against terrorism at all. Those who back terror will be our target. Those who back terrorists are terrorists themselves.”

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20, to clear YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

YPG is the Syrian branch of the PKK, which is designated as a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU and has been fighting the Turkish state for more than 30 years and has taken some 40,000 lives, including thousands of civilians.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defence rights under the UN charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military also said only terror targets are being destroyed and that "utmost care" is being taken to not harm civilians.