Less than 24 hours after starting its operation…the Turkish forces and the factions of the “Olive Branch” Operation take the control of the first village in Afrin countryside
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the violent clashes are still continuing between the Turkish forces and the factions of the “Olive Branch” Operation led by Turkey, against the Syria Democratic Forces, on the northern border of Afrin area from the Turkish side, and the Syrian Observatory learned that the Turkish forces managed to advance with the factions and took the control of Shinkal village, less than 24 hours after launching the “Olive Branch” Operation by the Turkish forces which aims to take the control of Afrin city and expel the SDF from it, and the reliable sources confirmed to the SOHR that the violent clashes are still continuing between the both parties, in an attempt by the SDF to regain the control of the villages which is the first village to be controlled in this operation by the Turkish forces and the factions participating within the operation.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also monitored exchange of shelling and intensive targeting on the clash areas in Shinkal area, in conjunction with violent clashes between the both parties in the fronts of Kerdu and Balyeh in the areas of Ragu and Jendires, accompanied also with exchange of targeting resulted in the break down of and damage to vehicles, while the Turkish warplanes are continuing to fly over the area, and the Syrian Observatory monitored that they carried out successive raids targeting areas in Afrin city and its vicinity as well as the townships of Maabatli, Ragu and Jendires as well as other areas in Afrin countryside, and no information about casualties was reported yet.
And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published that it monitored the continuation of the violent clashes between the Turkish forces against the Syria Democratic Forces, in which these clashes concentrated in two main fronts which are Balyeh village in Bulbula Township north of Afrin on the border with Turkey, and Hamam village in Jendires Township on the western border of Afrin with Iskenderun, in conjunction with clashes in the area of Kerdu village in an attempt by the Turkish forces with its backed factions to advance and achieve their first advance inside the territory of Afrin area, with the continuation of the Turkish operation in its 9th consecutive day since it was started on the 13th of January 2018, also reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the Turkish authorities opened 12 border gates on the border between the Turkish side and Afrin and on the border of Afrin area with Iskenderun, in an attempt to attract the citizens to cross the border to the Turkish territory, and the open of the gates coincided with the continuation of the Turkish military mobilization and bringing military reinforcements of Turkish forces, vehicles, supplies as well as bringing the factions’ fighters in the area prepared for attacking Afrin area.
And the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the number of the civilian casualties in Afrin city has increased to 7 citizens documented by the SOHR, including a child under the age of 8, because of the aerial bombardment by the Turkish warplanes, which targeted during the past 24 hours, areas in Afrin city and other areas in Ayn Daqneh, Biloniyya, Aqbiya, Kerdu, Shikhorzah, Azzawiyyah, Haj Hasna, Kafryeh, Hajika, Blilka and other areas in the Township of Raju, Jendires, Shirawa, and in the northwestern countryside of Aleppo, and the death toll is expected to rise because there are some people in critical situation.