By Esref Musa and Selen Temizer
IDLIB/ANKARA
Turkish and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces on Monday liberated one village and most of another village from YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists as part of Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region.
The village of Karmanluk in Shaykh al-Hadid, northwest of Afrin, has been cleared of terrorists, Anadolu Agency correspondents in the field reported.
Later on Wednesday, the upper and lower parts of the village of Senare were liberated as well, which also cut the terrorists' access to the Turkish border.
Since the launch of the operation on Jan. 20, the Turkish military and the FSA have liberated 113 locations, including one district center, 85 villages, 20 strategic mountains and hills, and one YPG/PKK base.
Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.
The military has also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and "utmost care" is being taken to avoiding harming civilians.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight.
