The Turkish military has taken the center of Afrin. The military offensive is directed against the Kurdish militia YPG, who previously controlled the city in northern Syria. More than 150,000 civilians are fleeing.
The Turkish army and its allies conquered the northern Syrian city of Afrin on Sunday, according to activists. The units have "gained control of the city," said Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkish flags were hoisted in the city.
The Turkish army also claimed that the center of the city is under control. Now the area will be cleared of mines and explosives. There was no confirmation from the Kurdish side so far.
The Turkish military invaded the province of Afrin in northwestern Syria on January 20 to fight the Kurdish militia YPG. The units moved from the border to the center of the province step by step. Afrin has been besieged since the beginning of this week. An estimate of 300,000 to 500,000 people are believed to be in the area, including many refugees from nearby villages and communities.
Rebels allied with Turkey proclaimed that they have penetrated "from the east and the west" into the city. Local residents told the AFP news agency that civilians were still hiding in basements. There is no water and electricity in the village for a week and a half. About 150,000 people have left Afrin probably.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights announced on Sunday that more than 1,500 Kurdish fighters have been killed since January 20. Most of them in air raids and artillery fire. On top of it more than 400 pro turk rebels have been killed.
For the government in Ankara the YPG is as a terrorist organization because of its connections to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Turkish President Erdogan has threatened to attack Afrin as well as Manbij and other cities in the region. The PKK is on the terror list in Turkey, Europe and the USA. The YPG, on the other hand, is an important US partner in the fight against the terrorist militia Islamic State (IS).
Source: dpa, Reuters
Powered by Insteem, the News on Steem