Violent clashes in Raju area and the Turkish forces intensify their shelling on Afrin area in conjunction with the flight of their warplanes over the city and its outskirts
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of clashes yesterday all night long, escalating again their violent pace since today dawn Saturday the 27th of January 2018, between the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic factions operating within the “Olive Branch” Operation against the YPG and the Self-Defense forces, in areas in the northern and the western countryside of Afrin, where the violent clashes are concentrated in the villages of Alabaskah and Kafri Kar, related to Raju Township, and the clashes coincide with intensive and violent shelling between the both parties, and information about human losses in the ranks of the both parties, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights learned that the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation managed to achieve advancement of the area, and took the control of positions in it and information about controlling Alabaskah village, while counter attacks are being carried out by the YPG in order to regain the control of the areas they lost, and prevent the Turkish forces and the factions to hold their control over the area.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also monitored the flight of Turkish warplanes over Afrin city and other areas in its outskirts and countryside, where they targeted places in Bulbula Township, in conjunction with renewing the shelling by the Turkish forces on areas in Jendires Township west of Afrin and other places in the countryside of the area, and no information about casualties was reported yet, and the SOHR also monitored shelling after the midnight of Friday – Saturday, which targeted places in Mare’ area in the northern countryside of Aleppo, by the Syria Democratic Forces, which caused material damage, while areas in Tel Rifaat town and its vicinity in the northern countryside of Aleppo, and controlled by the SDF, witnessed shelling this morning, intersected sources said that it was carried out by the Turkish forces and the factions operating in the area, which caused material damage, without information about casualties.
It is noteworthy that the Turkish aerial and artillery shelling during one week of Operation “Olive Branch” have killed 36 citizens including 10 children and 4 women, they were killed by the Turkish aerial, artillery and rocket shelling on several areas of Afrin located in the north-western countryside of Aleppo, and the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of tens of injuries, some of them have seriously wounded, while the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has documented during a week of the “Olive Branch” Operation led by the Turkish forces with the rebel and Islamic factions, since the 20th of January 2018, and until the 26th of January 2018, the death of 7 soldiers of the Turkish forces in the clashes and the exchange of targeting, including 4 bodies the YPG still have them, while the operation witnessed the fall of a large number of human losses in the ranks of the rebel and Islamic factions and in the ranks of the YPG, in which the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the death of 53 fighters of the YPG who were killed in these clashes, aerial and artillery shelling and exchange of targeting in the clash areas, and the death of 58 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions operating within the “Olive Branch” Operation which aims to take the control of Afrin area in the north-western countryside of Aleppo, on the border with Turkey, also there are 7 missing Turkish soldiers.