Over 2,100 militants ‘neutralized’ in Turkey’s Syria op: Military

ANKARA

The Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Feb. 28 that a total of 2,184 militants have been “neutralized” since the start of “Operation Olive Branch” in the northwestern Syrian district of Afrin. 

The authorities use the word “neutralized” in statements to imply that the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

According to the Turkish General Staff, “Operation Olive Branch” was launched on Jan. 20 alongside elements of the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin and to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and in the region.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) announced on Feb. 24 that 32 Turkish soldiers have been killed and 183 others have been wounded since the beginning of the operation.

Another Turkish soldier was killed on Feb. 25 in Afrin, the military stated.

After Turkish and FSA forces cut off the access YPG militants in Afrin to the Turkish border, opposition-held areas in northern Syria were also connected in a crescent-shaped corridor on Feb. 26.

The village of Karmanluk in Shaykh al-Hadid, northwest of Afrin city, and the upper and lower parts of the village of Senare, were cleared of YPG militants, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

With the newly taken land, a crescent-shaped corridor stretching along the northwestern Idlib province and the Aleppo province’s Azaz district reconnected two areas held by Syrian opposition forces.