The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

The Turkish forces, the Gray Wolves and the factions advance in the west of Afrin and seek to wrap around a new village to expand their scope of control backed by intensive aerial and ground shelling

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored that the violent clashes are still continuing between the YPG and the Self-Defense forces against the Turkish forces, groups of the Gray Wolves, and the rebel and Islamic factions, in areas in the western countryside of Afrin city, near the border line between Afrin area and Turkey, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored a violent attack by the Turkish forces and the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation in the eastern countryside, between the townships of Sheikh Hadid “Sheyah” and Raju, where they managed to advance in the area and take the control of Khalila and Sati Oshagli villages in conjunction with advancing in Omar Oshagli village and the attempt to wrap around Mamlu Oshagli village which these forces failed to control since the start of the operation on the 20th of January 2018, and the clashes are accompanied by intensive and artillery shelling by the Turkish forces amid exchange of targeting in the clash areas between the both parties, and information about more human losses in the ranks of the both parties, thus, the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation have controlled Jabal Barsaya and 10 villages at least, on the border line of Afrin with Turkey, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published this morning that it has increased to 85 at least, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in the aerial, rocket and artillery shelling, clashes and targeting in Afrin area, while it has increased to 81 at least, the number of the members of the rebel and Islamic factions who were killed clashes and targeting, in addition to 9 soldiers of the Turkish forces, where the YPG still have 4 bodies of them, and the clashes between them resulted in the fall of tens of injuries, captives and missing people in the ranks of the both parties, and the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries, and there are information about more human losses in the ranks of the both parties.

Also Afrin is witnessing the continuous flight of the Turkish warplanes which do not almost leave the skies of the area, where they targeted areas in the western countryside of Afrin by several raids, in conjunction with Turkish artillery shelling on places deep in of Afrin area, which caused more material damage to the infrastructure and to the property of the citizens, after the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the increased number of civilian casualties, as the SOHR has documented since the start of the “Olive Branch” Operation on the 20th of January 2018, and until today morning the 30th of January 2018, the death of 67 Syrian citizens of the Kurds, Arabs and Armenians including 20 children and 12 citizen women, who live in Afrin area or displaced to it during the recent years, while the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries.