18 March 2018•Update: 19 March 2018
By Burak Karacaoglu, Esref Musa, Adham Kako, Levent Tok and Omer Koparan
AFRIN, Syria/ANKARA
The Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Sunday liberated another 29 villages and from terrorists during Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region.
According to Anadolu Agency correspondents on the ground, the villages of Haj Hasanli, Rahmanli, Hasan Dayrli, Dik Ubah, Saghir Ubasi, Shaykh Kulu, Anbarli, Daliyanli, Rutanli, Iki Akhur, Arab Ushaghi, Qatranli, Upper and Lower Gulyan, Barbant, Selo, Chorba Ubasi, “Gobek”, “Oksuzlu”, “Guebek”, “Abraz”, “Samatek”, “Kodlaki”, “Kalilene”, “Açoni”, “Zivenko”, “Heselik”, “Beremci” and "Kuzhayhil” were cleared of YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists.
Villages liberated are within the triangle delineated by the towns of Rajo, Bulbul Sharan.
Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army took control of the Afrin town center early on Sunday as part of Operation Olive Branch, which was launched on Jan. 20 to clear the area of YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists.
The Afrin town center is now under control of Turkish and FSA in its north, east and western regions.
The town center Mabatli was also liberated from terrorists by the Turkish troops.
According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation has aimed 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, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.
The military also said only terror targets are being destroyed and that "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming civilians.
