Turkish forces cleared more villages of terrorists and took control of a strategic dam, reaching Afrin city’s border during Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria, the Turkish military announced.
Turkish army is currently only five kilometers away from the Afrin city center, as Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch enters its 50th day. It is being awaiting last orders to enter Afrin city center.
Later on Saturday, four more villages — the villages of Kafr Rum and Qurt Qulaq in the northeastern Sharan district, Zellaka in the southwestern Jinderes district, and Kfar Zeit in Afrin’s city center – had been liberated by the Turkish army.
On Friday, President Erdogan said that Turkish-backed troops had surrounded the Afrin city center and were ready to enter at any moment.
SENIOR YPG MEMBERS ‘FLEEING’ AFRIN
Senior members of the PKK-linked People’s Protection Units (YPG) terror organization are fleeing Syria’s Afrin. Speaking to Anadolu Agency on the condition of anonymity, the reliable local sources said one of them is Said Ismet Gubar, who serves as so-called justice minister in the province which the YPG/PKK group occupied.
Gubar fled to Nubl, a small city in northern Syria, which appears to be under the control of Bashar al-Assad regime but is actually occupied by Iran-backed armed groups.