6 yıl önce

Erdogan says 800 terrorists neutralised in Syria's Afrin

Since the beginning of Turkey's Operation Olive Branch, 20 villages and 27 zones, including seven strategic mountains and hills, have been cleared of the YPG/PKK in Syria's Afrin.

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Members of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), backed by the Turkish Army, walk on a field during an operation to capture the highest points of Kurni Mountains in "Operation Olive Branch", launched in Syria's Afrin region in Syria on January 31, 2018.

A total of 800 terrorists have been neutralised in Syria's northwestern Afrin region as part of Turkey's ongoing Operation Olive Branch, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Thursday.

"Of course, this number will increase by the evening," said Erdogan, while speaking at a Turkish Youth Foundation's gathering at the Presidential Complex in Ankara.

The military generally uses the term "neutralise" to signify that the targets were killed, captured or surrendered.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 to clear the YPG/PKK and Daesh from Afrin in northwestern Syria.

TRTWorld

This map of northern Syria shows the major players in the region and the areas they control as Turkey continues with Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin region.

On Thursday, Turkish and FSA forces captured Bulbul town centre in northern Afrin, Syria.

Earlier in the day, they also liberated the village of Ali Kar in Bulbul town.

This led to full control of a large zone in Afrin's north, together with the previously cleared village of Shenkal and Zahran regions.

According to the Turkish military, 20 villages and 27 zones, including seven strategic mountains and hills, were liberated from the YPG/PKK in Afrin.

The YPG/PKK killed three Turkish soldiers and wounded two others in southeast Turkey, Hakkari.

Meanwhile, a person has been injured after two rockets one after the other fired by the YPG/PKK in Syria hit Turkey's border province of Kilis on Thursday.

TRT World's Anelise Borges reports on the latest from Hatay, located on Turkey's border with Syria.