Over 200 Turkey-Backed Militants Killed in Clashes with Kurds

Rasa - Over 200 members of the Ankara-affiliated militant groups have been killed in clashes with the Kurdish combatants in the Turkey-led Olive Branch Operation in Afrin region, the Kurdish sources said on Wednesday.

News ID: 436015

Date: 26 January 2018 - 20:36

RNA - Over 200 members of the Ankara-affiliated militant groups have been killed in clashes with the Kurdish combatants in the Turkey-led Olive Branch Operation in Afrin region, the Kurdish sources said on Wednesday.

Aleppo

The Kurdish-language Hawar news quoted the SDF as declaring that 203 members of militants affiliated to the Turkish army, including four commanders, have been killed in different battlefields in Afrin region in the last two days.

The SDF further said that the Kurdish fighters destroyed seven military vehicles of the Turkish army and seized two armored vehicles.

The SDF said that the Turkish Air Force has continued targeting heavily different Kurdish-held regions, including the village of Iska in Shirwa and nearby region in the village of Jomleh in Jandaris region.

Also, Turkish sources disclosed on Wednesday that the Turkish Army has temporarily halted the Olive Branch Operation to fortify newly-captured positions and later kick off fresh attacks on Kurds to go directly towards the Central part of Afrin region,.

The Turkish-language Yeni Safak daily quoted the sources as saying that military operations along the borderline with Hatay, Hasa, Kakhan Sakisli and Kilis has been halted to resume a fresh ground operation towards the town of Afrin after recent advances of the Ankara forces and allied militants against Kurds within the framework of the Olive Branch Operation in Northwestern Aleppo.

The daily further said that the Turkish troops have captured seven regions in clashes with the Kurds in Afrin, adding that the army forces are about to fortify their position in the seven newly-captured regions and later push towards the town of Afrin.

It added that the new strategy will prevent the Kurds from prevailing over the positions of the Ankara forces.

Also in the past 24 hours, a notorious field commander of Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) was killed amid the Turkey-led Olive Branch Operation forces' withdrawal after fierce clashes with the Kurdish fighters.

Sources said that the Kurdish fighters repelled a heavy offensive of the Turkish soldiers and their allied militants and later in a rapid counter-attack in Jandris region North of Afrin managed to recapture the village on Hommam.

The sources further said that the Kurdish fighters fended off another attack of the Olive Branch Operation in the village of Qastal Jandou near the small town of Sheran in Afrin region and took back control over Qastal hill.

They added that Ahmad Fayadh al-Khalaf, a field commander of FSA Samarqan Brigade was killed in clashes with the Kurdish combatants in Hommam.

Field reports said 24 militants affiliated to the Turkish army were killed in clashes with Kurds in the village of Omara in Rajou region and a tank of the Turkish army was damaged.

A Turkish official said on Wednesday that over 250 members of Kurdish armed groups have been killed so far in the Turkish Army's Olive Branch Operation in Syria's Afrin region in Aleppo province.

"... At least 260 terrorists have been killed since the start of the operation. The operation continues as planned," an official in the Turkish Army General Staff said in a statement.

Also in the past 24 hours, Deputy Chief Commander of the FSA Haitham Afeisi declared that the operation against Kurds will continue in Manbij once the Afrin assault concludes.

“We have no shortage in terms of weapons, ammunition or fighters, and we are morally ready as well. A 10,000-strong force is ready for Manbij,” Afeisi said in an exclusive interview with Yeni Şafak daily.

Highlighting the significance of a possible operation in Manbij, Afeisi pointed to the US activities in the region.

“We regard Manbij as strategically important as Afrin, so as Syria’s National Army (“al-Jaysh al-Watani”) we have declared war against the Kurdistan workers’ Party (PKK) formations in Manbij. Rather than the PKK, the US is the more pressing problem. In the case that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and the FSA were to enter Manbij, the US, as it did in Afrin, will withdraw its support from the terrorists. If it does not, we will battle US forces deployed in that region as well.”

Raqqa

The SDF arrested a number of young people in Northern Raqqa, forcing them to join the group amid fierce clashes between the Kurdish fighters and Turkish army and its allied militants in Northwestern Aleppo, local sources reported.

The sources said that the SDF has embarked on arresting a number of residents in the town of Ein Issa in Northern Raqqa to force them to join the SDF.

The sources further said that the UN representative in the region has not allowed the Kurds to enter Ein Issa camp but tens of civilians have been arrested by the SDF outside the camp.

Idlib

Deputy Chief Commander of the FSA Haitham Afeisi declared that the operation against Kurds will continue in Manbij once the Afrin assault concludes.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Army troops continued attacking terrorists' positions in regions near Abu al-Dhohour airbase on Wednesday and captured one more settlement in Southeastern Idlib.

The army men, backed up by artillery units and Air Force, managed to beat terrorists back from the settlement of Khafiyeh West of the town of Abu al-Dhohour.

A number of terrorists were killed and their military hardware were destroyed in the attacks.

The army's engineering units started defusing bombs and landmines in the newly-freed settlement.

Also in the past 24 hours, Sa'ad al-Kayari, a notorious female terrorist commander, was killed in the Syrian Army troops' attacks in regions near Abu al-Dhohour airbase in Southeastern Idlib.

Sa'ad al-Kayari nom de guerre Um Aboud, a senior female commander of terrorists, was killed in fierce clashes with the army men near the newly-freed Abu al-Dhohour airbase.

Al-Kayari, who was recruiting female fighters for a brigade under her command, was recently appointed as the commander of a battalion of gunmen too.

Also on Wednesday, the Syrian Army units, backed up by the country's Air Force, repelled a heavy offensive of Al-Nusra Front (Tahrir al-Sham Hay'at or the Levant Liberation Board) to recapture the newly-liberated town of Abu al-Dhohour.

The army men engaged in fierce clashes with Al-Nusra and repelled their attack to recapture the town of Abu al-Dhohour in Southeastern Idlib, killing a large number of terrorists and destroying their military hardware.

Also, the army aircraft pounded the Al-Nusra positions and movements in the battlefields near the key Abu al-Dhohour airbase and near the village of Sarjeh in Southeastern Idlib, inflicting major losses on the terrorists.

Hasaka

The Turkish Army has put al large number of forces on alert at border with Syria's Hasaka province which is home to the US forces' bases, local sources reported on Wednesday.

The sources said that the Turkish army has deployed its forces and military equipment at the Turkish side of Ra'as al-Ein border-crossing in Northern Hasaka amid Ankara-led Olive Branch Operation against Kurds in Afrin region.

The sources said that the Turkish Armed Forces have targeted several times Hasaka province and the town of Qamishli while gathering fresh forces in Ra'as al-Ein.

The sources further pointed to the presence of a large number of the US forces in the region, adding that it is not so clear that whether the Turkish army has a plan to launch ground attack on Ra'as al-Ein.

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