After tens of raids, the Turkish forces and their allied opposition forces control Bersaya Mount, after several failed attempts within a week
The SOHR learned that the Turkish forces backed by the Islamic and rebel factions operating within “Olive Branch” Operation Forces, managed to advance and control Bersaya Mount located in the northeastern countryside of Afrin, and the control came after several failed attempts to control this Mount, since the 22nd of JAnaury 2018, and the SOHR learned that the control came after tens of airstrikes carried out by Turkish warplanes and helicopters taking part in the military operation in Bersaiya town area, and the violent battles and clashes, which took place between the YPG and Self Defense Forces against the Turkish forces and the Islamic and rebel factions operating within “Olive Branch” Operation were accompanied by heavy shelling causing more human losses, and the SOHR documented the death of at least 12 fighters of the Kurdish forces, who were killed in aerial shelling and clashes, while at least two were captured and others were injured with different severity, while there is confirmed information about members of the “Olive Branch” operation were killed and injured in these clashes.
The violent clashes are accompanied by ongoing and heavy shelling on places and villages in Afrin area, in conjunction with targeting on areas in the western and northern countryside of Afrin, and the SOHR published hours ago that the death toll rose to 46 Syrian citizens of the Kurds, Arabs and Armenians including 13 children and 7 citizen women, who has been killed since the 20th of January 2018, until today morning the 28th of January 2018, in aerial, artillery and rocket shelling on Afrin city, the villages of Kaljiba and Maryamin, Maabatli town, and other villages and areas in the northern and the western countryside of Afrin, in which two bodies were extracted while 3 others of them died affected by the injury they had, while the number of casualties may increase because of the presence of serious injuries.
The SOHR also learned that the violent clashes are still taking place between the YPG and the Self Defense against the rebel and Islamic factions and the Turkish forces, in areas in Bersaiya Mount, of which the Turkish forces controlled parts, while they are still trying to advance and control the whole Mount, and reliable and intersected sources asserted to the SOHR that the news about the full control of the whole Mount by the “Olive Branch” Operation on Bersaiya Mount, northeast of Afrin area, are completely false until the moment. The violent clashes are also taking place on the clash area, amid shelling by the Turkish forces on places in Afrin area, in conjunction with airstrikes of Turkish warplanes that targeted areas in the vicinity of Rubar Refugee Camp, and no information about causalities so far.
The SOHR published hours ago that the increased number of the civilian casualties was accompanied by increasing the number of casualties in the ranks of the conflicted parties, which are the YPG on one hand, and the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation on the other, who have been killed since the 20th of January 2018, until after the midnight of Saturday – Sunday, where it has increased to 66, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in the clashes and the aerial and artillery shelling, including a female fighter was killed during carrying out an attack by grenades and heavy machine guns on a heavy vehicle of the Turkish army and its allies in Hamam village, while it has increased to 78 at least, the number of the members of the “Olive Branch” Operation who were killed during the same period in the clashes, the exchange of shelling and detonating vehicles, including 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.
Pictures of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights shows the archaeological area of Ain Dara, parts of which were destroyed by shelling of the Turkish warplanes on the area located south of the city of Afrin.
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Videos by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights shows the archaeological area of Ain Dara, parts of which were destroyed by shelling of the Turkish warplanes on the area located south of the city of Afrin