A slow-moving ground offensive, the assault on Afrin threatens to become a protracted standoff, deepening an already dire humanitarian situation. So far, nearly 80 civilians in Afrin, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, and 31 Turkish soldiers have been killed. But the Observatory puts the toll at over 160, and estimates that over 200 Turkey-backed Syrian fighters have been killed. Ultimately, Ankara wants Washington to halt its support for the Syrian Kurdish militia. “We are waiting in anticipation and watching videos.”In Turkey, the Afrin offensive is popular, playing to nationalist and anti-Kurdish sentiments ahead of the 2019 elections.

Source: National Post February 16, 2018 06:11 UTC