On January 20, warplanes of the Turkish Air Force (TAF) conducted their first airstrikes against the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin area in the northern Aleppo countryside, according to the Turkish Anadolu Agency.
3/ Turkish operation against Afrin has officially started. Here a video of Turkish airstrikes against Kurdish targets. @akhbar pic.twitter.com/sonWmuq9ym
— Jenan Moussa (@jenanmoussa) 20 January 2018
The Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reported that Turkish warplanes bombed several positions of the YPG in the towns of Shero, Shra, Jandarseh and the city of Afrin. Turkish warplanes also destroyed several positions of the YPG in the Arab towns of Tall Rifat and Menagh, according to Syrian oppositions sources.
بالفيديو
مصدر كردي: 3 طائرات حربية تركية من طراز F16 نفذت 11 غارة على قرى عين دقنة، مريامين، تل رفعت، كفر جنة، مرعناز وقرى بمحيط #عفرين في ريف #حلب الشمالي pic.twitter.com/EoiYcTUfWw— الإعلام الحربي المركزي (@C_Military1) 20 January 2018
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed that the TAF begin its aerial operations against the YPG in Afrin during a public speech in the Turkish city of Bilecik according to the Washington Post newspaper.
“As of this moment our brave Armed Forces have started the aerial offensive to eliminate the PYD and PKK and Daesh [ISIS] elements in Afrin,” said Yildirim
The airstrikes are the first stage of the long-awaited Turkish military operation against the YPG in the Afrin area. The Turkish Army will likely launch its ground operation and advance into Afrin in the upcoming hours.
Some photos:
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