Turkey’s air and ground operation, now in its fifth day, targets US -backed Kurdish YPG fighters in the Afrin region and has opened a new front in Syria’s multi-sided civil war. A Turkish operation in Manbij would be fraught with risk due to the presence of US military personnel in and around the town. The Turkish military said late on Tuesday it had killed at least 260 Kurdish fighters and Islamic State militants in the offensive. Turkish troops and allied Syrian fighters have been trying to take the summit of Bursaya Hill, overlooking the eastern approach to Afrin town. He attributed this to fierce resistance from YPG fighters who are from Afrin, and the hilly terrain of the area.

Source: The Express Tribune January 24, 2018 15:45 UTC