Violent clashes accompanied by Turkish air and missile strikes cause more casualties and raise the death toll of faction fighters, Turkish soldiers and Kurdish forces to more than 360
The area of Afrin in the northwest of Aleppo province is still witnessing military operations for the 24th consecutive day, where the Turkish forces are trying to control Afrin area with the participation of the rebel and Islamic factions, amid repel and disparate fight by the Kurdish Forces who control Afrin to repel the successive attacks. Afrin area has been witnessing since the 31st of January –which is 10 days after the start of “Olive Branch” operation– a shift in the course of battles, and things started going in favor of YPG, who began a new tactic that depends on carrying out an individual targeting, that causes as much as possible losses of Humans, equipment and machines.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored this evening, Monday the 12th of February 2018, shelling by the Turkish helicopters targeted places in Damliya village, which is located in the area between Rajo and Sheikh al-Hadid in the western sector of Afrin area, in conjunction with artillery shelling targeted the village itself, while regime’s helicopters and warplanes targeted the violent clash areas; between the rebel and Islamic factions and Turkish Forces against YPG and the Self-Defense forces, in places in the villages of Hamam, Western Ashka, Deir Balout, Aakijleh, Baflora and other areas in Jendires Township in the southwestern countryside of Afrin, in conjunction with clashes in the northern and northeastern countryside of Afrin and the other areas in Rajo countryside, and the clashes coincided with intense targeting in the clash areas between both parties, also the clashes caused more casualties in the ranks of them both, where the Syrian Observatory documented that it rose to 159, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in these clashes during 24 days of the military operations, while it has increased to 202, the number of the fighters and soldiers of the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation who were killed in these clashes, including more than 29 soldiers of the Turkish forces including 2 pilots, 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, including at least 195, those who were killed since the beginning of change of power balance on the 31st of January 2018. They are at least 20 soldiers of the Turkish forces, while at least 106 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions operating within the “Olive Branch” Operation Forces, while at least 69 fighters of the YPG were killed in the same military operations in Afrin area. The forces of “Olive Branch” operation managed since the beginning of the operation until now to advance and control Bulbula town and 15 villages, they are: ((Kanye, Khalilah in Sheikh Hadid Township in the west of Afrin, the villages of Mamlu Oshagli, Amra, Ali Beska, Edmanli in Rajo Township in the western countryside of Afrin, Shenkali village in the north-west of Afrin, and the villages of Bekah, Alikar, Abudan, Za’rah, Daru, Qarnah in the northern countryside of Afrin, and Jabal Barsaya – Qastal Jandu in the north-eastern countryside of Afrin)). Also the “Olive Branch” Operation Forces controlled Bulbula town and 15 villages, and the Syrian Observatory documented the raise of the death toll of the Syrian citizens of the Kurds, Arabs and Armenians to 74 including 21 children and 13 citizen women, who are documented since the 20th of January 2018 and who were 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.