Turkish army builds more road checkpoints in N Syria

ANKARA-Anadolu Agency

The Turkish army on Dec. 1 started building and facilitating checkpoints in northern Syria in a bid to prevent YPG/PKK terror groups from targeting civilians through car bombings.

"In order for the facilitation of the safe zone, road checkpoints have been established in response to the bloody-minded PKK/YPG terrorists' attacks targeting innocent civilians," the ministry said on Twitter.

"All necessary precautions will be taken to ensure the safety of the local people," it added.

On Nov. 30, the terror group targeted civilians in a village of Tal Abyad with two bomb-laden trucks. Security forces thwarted one of the bombing attempts, but the other truck exploded outside the village and wounded at least five locals.

Notably, the Turkish army discovered yet another school in Ras al-Ayn city which was turned into a military post with tunnels dug underneath by the YPG/PKK terrorists, the ministry said.

"During search and sweep operations, our soldiers have identified yet another school in Ras al-Ayn that has been rendered unusable by PKK/YPG terrorists who dug tunnels stretching to nearby buildings for their attacks," noted the ministry, adding: "The tunnels have been closed off to prevent further use."

Turkey on Oct. 9 launched Operation Peace Spring to eliminate YPG/PKK 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 YPG/PKK terrorists to withdraw from the region so a safe zone can be created to pave the way for the safe return of some 2 million refugees.

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.