Turkish army, FSA liberate 1 more village in NW Syria

By Levent Tok and Said Ibicioglu

IDLIB/ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Thursday liberated one more village from YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists as part of the Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region.

The village of "Seyh Mehmetli" in the Rajo district, located northwest of Afrin, has been cleared of the terrorists, Anadolu Agency’s correspondents in the field reported.

Since Feb. 26, a crescent-shape corridor stretching along the northwestern Idlib province and the Aleppo province’s Azaz district has cut terrorists’ connection with Turkey’s border.

Since the launch of the operation on Jan. 20, Turkish military and the FSA liberated 116 locations including one center of a district, 88 villages, 20 strategic mountains and hills and one YPG/PKK base.

Turkey on Jan. 20 launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

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 cruelty and oppression.

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

The military has also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming any civilians.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight.