The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Ambiguity surrounds the crew of a Turkish helicopter targeted by the Kurdish units in the skies of Raju area in the western section of Afrin countryside

Ambiguity is surrounding the crew of a Turkish helicopter targeted by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) today Saturday the 10th of February 2018, where it was targeted while it was flying over Raju Township in Kedda area, which has been witnessing clashes since this dawn, in the western countryside of Afrin area, which has been witnessing Turkish aerial and artillery shelling since yesterday after the midnight, and this is the first Turkish helicopter to be shot down in Afrin area since Operation “Olive Branch” was launched on the 20th of January 2018, amid fears of a Turkish revenge through targeting Afrin area heavily, which would result in the fall of more human losses after the death and the injury of tens of the people of Afrin city and its countryside.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored renewed Turkish bombardment on areas in Afrin in the north-western countryside of Aleppo, today Saturday the 10th of February 2018, where the bombardment by warplanes targeted during the last night, areas in Bulbula Township, in the northern countryside of Afrin, while the Turkish forces targeted during the past few hours, areas in Raju Township and other places in the south-western countryside of Afrin, also the violent are continuing between the both parties in areas in Kedda village in Raju Township in the western countryside of Afrin, as well as places in Sheikh Khurzah area in Bulbula Township, between the YPG and the Self-Defense against the rebel and Islamic factions and the Turkish forces, where the factions are trying to achieve advancement in the area with the Turkish forces, and the clashes ar accompanied by exchange of targeting in the clash areas.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday, that these clashes and shelling within Operation “Olive Branch” which has entered its 21st consecutive day since the Turkish announcement of launching Operation “Olive Branch”, resulted in the fall of a large number of human losses of citizens and fighters in the ranks of the both parties, the SOHR has documented the death of 70 Syrian citizens of the Kurds, Arabs and Armenians including 21 children and 13 citizen women, who used to live in Afrin area or have been displaced to it in the past years, while tens others were injured with varying severity, including children and citizen women, some of the injuries have permanent disabilities, and the clashes, the exchange of targeting and the shelling by the Turkish forces, resulted in the fall of more human losses in the ranks of the conflicted parties, where it has increased to 135, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in these clashes during 21 days of the military operations, while it has increased to 158, the number of the fighters and soldiers of the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation who were killed in these clashes, including more than 22 soldiers of the Turkish forces, while the others are fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions, and tens of members of the both parties were injured with varying severity, which may raise the death toll even more.