City center of Syria's Tal Abyad cleared of YPG/PKK

TAL ABYAD - Anadolu Agency

The city center of Syria's Tal Abyad district has been cleared of YPG/PKK terrorists on Oct. 13 in Turkey's ongoing military operation.

Turkey-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) has taken the control of the district.         

Tal Abyad is the second city center after Ras al Ayn which was taken control of within the scope of the ongoing Operation Peace Branch.         

So far, a total of two city centers, one town and 56 villages have been liberated from YPG/PKK terrorists.         

Anadolu Agency reporters in Turkey's border district of Akcakale in southeastern Sanliurfa province shot a footage in which SNA fighters can be seen cheering after taking control of the Tal Abyad city center.         

Early afternoon, SNA rebels fighting on the frontline made heavy gains in the western part of the district.         

SNA seized YPG/PKK's so-called Department of Public Affairs in the clashes.         

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate terrorists from northern Syria in order to secure Turkey's borders, aid in the safe return of Syrian refugees, and ensure Syria's territorial integrity.       

Ankara wants to clear east of the Euphrates River in northern Syria of the terrorist group PKK and its Syrian offshoot, the PYD/YPG.         

The U.S.-backed SDF, a group dominated by the YPG, has been controlling some 28 percent of the Syrian territories, including the most of the 911-kilometer-long Syria-Turkey border.

Turkey deems the YPG the Syrian offshoot of the illegal PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization also by the United States and the EU.