ANKARA: Turkey has sent special forces into the Syrian region of Afrin in anticipation of urban fighting in its operation against a Kurdish militia, Ankara said on Monday. Turkey on January 20 started an offensive supporting Syrian rebels against the US-backed People’s Protection Units (YPG) militia in the western enclave of Afrin. “Deploying special forces is part of the preparation for a new fight that is approaching,” Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag, also government spokesman, said. An unknown number of gendarmerie and police special forces entered the region on Sunday night, state news agency Anadolu said. Bozdag said earlier on Monday that the UN decision “did not affect the Afrin operation.” --AFP

Source: New Strait Times February 26, 2018 13:07 UTC