Artillery shelling target again Afrin city with ongoing clashes in areas in its countryside between the “Olive Branch” Operation Forces against the Kurdish forces

Aleppo province – The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: battles are still ongoing in Afrin area in the northwestern part of Aleppo countryside, where the artillery shelling targeted again areas in Afrin city, causing material damage, in conjunction with shelling on other areas in Afrin countryside, amid ongoing and violent clashes taking place between the rebel and Islamic factions and the Turkish forces against the YPG and the Self-Defense forces in areas in Sheikh Khoraz area and other areas in the northern and northeastern countryside of Afrin, in conjunction with clashes on areas in Jandyras district in the northwestern countryside of Afrin, in an attempt by the Turkish forces to advance after they managed during 25 consecutive days of clashes in Afrin area, with the participation of the rebel and the Islamic factions, to take the control of one town and 24 villages with a percentage of 7% of the total villages of Afrin, as they controlled Bulbula town and 23 villages, they are: ((Jabal Barsaya – Qastal Jandu and Dikmdash in Sharra Township in the north-eastern countryside of Afrin, and the villages of Shenkali, Bekah, Alikar, Za’rah, Balyeh, Qarnah, Bulbula and Abudan in Bulbula Township in the northern countryside of Afrin, Edmanli, Ali Beska and Balelka in Raju Township in the south-western countryside of Afrin, Kanye, Khalilah, Amra, Mamlu Oshagli in Sheikh Hadid Township in the west of Afrin, the villages of Hamam, Mala Khalil, Dayr Ballut, Haj Iskender, Muhammadiyah and Ashka in Jendires Township in the south-western countryside of Afrin)).

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published this morning that it monitored that the number of casualties is increasing, as a result of the ongoing fighting between the Kurdish forces against the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation, where it rose to 163, 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 211, the number of the fighters and soldiers of the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation who were killed in these clashes, including more than 34 casualties 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 208, those who were killed since the beginning of change of power balance on the 31st of January 2018. They are at least 25 soldiers of the Turkish forces, while at least 115 fighters of the rebel and Islamic factions operating within the “Olive Branch” Operation Forces, while at least 73 fighters of the YPG were killed in the operations and clashes witnessed during the past 2 weeks in Afrin area. The SOHR also documented that the death toll of civilian martyrs increased to at least 77 including 21 children and 13 women of Kurds, Armenian and Arabs living in Afrin area and those displaced in it, who were documented by the SOHR since the 20th of January 2018, in addition to tens of civilians were injured with different severity, and no information about human losses.