The Turkish forces and the Syrian factions advance in Afrin and expand their scope of control to about 10% of the total villages of the area with the continuation of fighting in the contact areas

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the continuation of the combat operations in Afrin area, in an ongoing and desperate efforts by the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation to advance and expand their scope of control, as the clashes are continuing between the Turkish forces and the rebel and Islamic factions against the YPG and the Self-Defense Forces, in areas in the south-western and the north-western countryside of Afrin, where the Turkish forces are seeking to achieve advancement in the area and impose their control over more areas, after they managed during the past 24 hours to take the control of a number of villages, which enabled them to expand their control in the area to about 10% of the total villages of Afrin, as they controlled Bulbula town and 33 other villages, they are:((Jabal Barsaya – Qastal Jandu, Dikmdash, Yaki Dam, Marsawa and Shaltah 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, Qarrah Baba 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, and Diwa Foqani, Jaqla, Kharab Smaq, Hajikanli Foqani, Hajikanli Tahtani, Al-Darwishiyyah)).

 

This advancement by the Turkish forces and the Syrian opposition factions, was accompanied by intensive and exchange of targeting amid Turkish shelling targeted places in Afrin area, within the continuation of the Turkish shelling on areas in the countryside of Afrin area, and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights documented the fall of human losses, which resulted in increasing the number of those who were killed since the start of Operation “Olive Branch”, during which the Turkish forces are seeking to impose their control over Afrin area, where the SOHR documented the death of 10 members at least of the Turkish forces and their allied Syrian opposition factions, during the targeting and the clashes in Afrin area today, raising to 238, the number of the members of the forces of the “Olive Branch” Operation who have been killed since the 20th of January 2018, including 37 casualties of the Turkish forces, while it has increased to 197, the number of the fighters of the YPG and the Self-Defense forces who were killed in these military operations, the aerial and artillery shelling and the targeting, including 2 European fighters, while tens of members of the both parties were injured with varying severity, which may raise the death toll even more.

 

It is noteworthy that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights published yesterday that an agreement was reached between The YPG and the regime forces on deploying members of the regime forces on the borders between Afrin and Turkey, so as to prevent the Turkish operations inside Afrin and the “Olive Branch” operation which aims to control Afrin area and expel the Kurdish forces from the area, and reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that the talks are still ongoing between both parties on outstanding points including the administration of Afrin area and the presence of the Kurdish forces with all their weapons in the area, and the SOHR published 72 hours ago, that it learned that talks is still ongoing between the Russians and the YPG to reach an agreement on deploying border guards and civil police of the regime forces in Afrin area, which is being under Turkish attacks since the 20th of January 2018, within the “Olive Branch” Operation launched by Turkey to control the area of Afrin which is located in the northwestern part of Aleppo, where reliable sources stressed that the talks are still underway to reach a full agreement on the Russian demand to the Kurdish forces in Afrin city, which was reiterated today to end the Turkish attack on Afrin area.