The violent fighting between the YPG and the Turkish forces continues on the border line between Afrin and Turkey and renewed shelling with raids target villages and places in the area

The targeting and the aerial and ground shelling is continuing on Afrin area which is controlled by the YPG and located in the north-western countryside of Aleppo, where the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored shelling by the Turkish forces, which targeted Bafalun area and other places in the townships of Jendires and Shirawa, as well as other areas in Afrin countryside, in conjunction with bombardment by warplanes on Deir Jamal area and other areas in its vicinity, which caused more material damage and destruction, and the SOHR is continuing to document the human losses during the “Olive Branch” Operation which Turkey announced on the 20th of January 2018, in which more citizens were killed raising to 32 at least, the number of citizens who have been killed since the “Olive Branch” Operation was launched, they are 2 citizens were killed in shelling by the SDF on areas in Kiljibrin town controlled by the rebel and Islamic factions in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and 30 citizens including 8 children and 4 women, the number of citizens who were killed by the Turkish aerial, artillery and rocket shelling on several areas of Afrin located in the north-western countryside of Aleppo.

The clashes are also continuing at violent pace between the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic factions against the YPG and the Self-Defense Forces, in areas on the border line with Turkey in the north and the west of Afrin, where the violent clashes are concentrated in Qarna and Balyeh villages in Bulbula Township, and the areas of Qastal Jendo, Adamanly, Shadia, Hamam and Surka, amid exchange of targeting in the clash areas between the both parties, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published during the past few hours, that it has increased to 42 at least, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in these clashes and the Turkish airstrikes and the rocket and artillery shelling, while the death toll has increased to 48 at least, the number of fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions operating within the “Olive Branch” Operation who were killed in addition to 2 soldiers of the Turkish forces, while these clashes resulted in the fall of a large number of wounded in the ranks of the both parties, as well as the presence of captives.