The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

45 days of “Olive Branch” Operation’s continuous escalated clashes raise the death toll to more than 900 civilians and fighters in Afrin area

Aleppo Province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: clashes continue in Afrin area in a continuation of “Olive Branch” Operation, which was launched by the Turkish Forces on the 20th of January 2018, where the clashes are concentrated in the northeastern and southwestern countryside of Afrin, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored clashes between the Turkish Forces and the rebel and Islamic factions against YPG and the Self-Defense Forces, in places in Sharra Township and other areas in the vicinity and outskirts of Jendires town and Sheikh Hadid area, amid exchange of targeting in the clash areas, where the clashes, targeting and mine explosions have caused casualties in the ranks of the factions, where it rose to 359 including 68 soldiers of the Turkish forces, the number of the members and fighters of the Turkish forces and the factions who were killed in the clashes against the Kurdish Units in Afrin area, while it rose to 316, the number of fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in the shelling and clashes in Afrin countryside, also hundreds of citizens, fighters and soldiers were injured with different severity, some of them have permanent disabilities.

And the Turkish forces have been able to advance and control a new village, raising to 97, the number of villages and towns -including two towns (Rajo and Bulbula)- the number of villages and towns controlled by the Turkish Forces and the factions since the start of “Olive Branch” Operation on the 20th of January 2018, which is equivalent to 28% of the total towns and villages of Afrin, and these accelerated control operations came after the entry of the regime forces’ National Defense Forces (NDF) to Afrin area, since the 20th of February 2018, where since the mentioned date until the 4th of March 2018; the Turkish Forces and the factions have taken control of more than what they have controlled during the first month of their operations, where the number of areas that have been controlled by Operation “Olive Branch” since the entry of NDF is 49 villages and the town of Rajo, the Turkish forces were also able to enter Sheikh Hadid town and became at the outskirts of Jendires town in the southwestern countryside of Afrin, and the vicinity of Sharra town in the northeastern countryside of Afrin, along with controlling more than half of Midanki lake aka “17 Nisan” lake, and reaching an area about 12 km away of the important city of Afrin, where this period witnessed the death of at least 58 members of regime forces’ NDF, where they entered earlier in an agreement between the Kurdish Forces and the regime forces, which allows forces of the latter to be deployed in Afrin area, which is witnessing an attack by Turkish Forces and opposing Syrian factions.

And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of at least 19 civilians including 2 children and 4 women, they were killed on Monday the 5th of March 2018, and with the death of more citizens, the death toll has increased to 171 Syrian citizens of the Kurds, Arabs and Armenians, including 29 children and 25 women, who were killed in the Turkish aerial, rocket and artillery shelling, and executions carried out against citizens in Afrin area, since the 20th of January 2018, while hundreds others were injured with varying severity, some of them have permanent disabilities.

High-resolution link of the advancement map of the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic factions, within the “Olive Branch” Operation in Afrin area in the northwest countryside of Aleppo Province,