DAMASCUS, SYRIA (1:00 P.M.) – The Turkish Ministry of Defense said a soldier was killed, four other wounded in clashes with Kurdish fighters in northern Syria.
The exact location and time where the first serviceman was killed in northern Syria offensive haven’t been specified.
The Turkish military and its allied Syrian rebels have reached the outskirts of Tal Abyad in northern Raqqa Governorate; and are now making all preparations to storm the Kurdish-held city.
So far, the Turkish army and opposition factions have penetrated some 8 km into the Syrian territories; occupying roughly 15 villages around Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain.
According to sources, the Turkish military has set up a new base between Suluk and Tal Abyad along the Turkey-Syria borders; cutting off the road linking the two towns.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyib Erdogan announced the start of Operation Peace Spring, aiming at destroying ‘terrorist Kurdish groups in east of Euphrates which pose a threat to Turkey’s national security’, as well as establishing a buffer zone in northern Syria.
Earlier, Turkey’s minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, said the first phase of the military campaign aims at penetrating 30 km into the Syrian territories.
So far, the Turkish aggression on northern Syria has killed and wounded scores, including civilians.
However, Turkey’s Ministry of Defense stated that up to 228 YPG fighters have so far been killed.
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