Turkish army chief vows to rout all militants in Afrin
ANKARA – Anadolu Agency
Turkey’s army chief on Feb. 27 vowed to defeat all militants in Afrin, northwestern Syria, as the Turkish-led operation there entered its 37th day.
“The terrorists in Afrin, and those brought there from outside regardless of their origins, along with the external forces who back them, will be completely routed,” Chief of General Staff Gen. Hulusi Akar said during a visit to the southern Turkish province of Hatay, close to Syria’s border.
Akar, accompanied by the commanders of the Turkish Land and Air Forces, Generals Yasar Guler and Hasan Küçükakyüz, was in Hatay to inspect military units, outposts, command posts and mobile military hospital, according to a Turkish General Staff statement.
The Turkish border cities of Kilis and Hatay are within firing range of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) from Afrin. Since the start of “Operation Olive Branch,” the Democratic Union Party/Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PYD/PKK) has targeted civilians in Turkey with some 100 cross-border attacks, leading to seven civilian deaths and 125 wounded.
Turkey on Jan. 20 launched the operation to remove YPG militants from Afrin.
