AFRIN: Turkish troops have taken control of 11 Kurdish positions and created “safe zones” in neighbouring Syria’s northwestern region of Afrin, according to Turkish media. Reports on Tuesday said the army, aided by Free Syria Army rebels, is pushing towards the southern part of the Syrian region with fronts on the west and the east. The Turkish army, which launched the Afrin operation on Saturday, captured the villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli, as well as the rural areas of Kita, Kordo, and Bibno and four other hills in Afrin, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported. It said 54 Syrian fighters were killed, including 19 Ankara-backed rebels, 26 Kurdish fighters, and nine unidentified figures. Erdogan has previously indicated that once control is imposed in Afrin, Turkey wants to head east to defeat the YPG in the town of Manbij.

Source: Pakistan Today January 23, 2018 10:52 UTC