17 March 2018•Update: 18 March 2018
ANKARA
Turkish troops that had begun Operation Olive Branch in Syria on opposite sides of Afrin's north have been reunited, the Turkish General Staff said on Saturday.
In a statement, the Turkish General Staff said the two groups were heading west to east and vice versa before converging in the northern part of Syria's Afrin.
Turkey on Jan. 20 launched Operation Olive Branch to remove PYD/PKK and 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 protect Syrians from terrorist cruelty and oppression.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its 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 avoid harming any civilians.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without a fight.
Reporting by Sinan Uslu:Writing by Satuk Bugra Kutlugun
