TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Turkey’s army has surrounded the city of Afrin in northwestern Syria, the main target of Turkey’s aggression against the Arab country’s northwestern region, a report said.

The Turkish military said on Tuesday that forces encircled Afrin and also gained the control “areas of critical importance” in the region as of Monday, Al Jazeera reported.

Ankara, which has been waging the so-called Operation Olive Branch against the US-backed Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants in flashpoint region since January 20, has said the offensive could extend to Manbij and beyond.

The military intervention came after the US said it would set up a 30,000-strong militant border force at Turkish doorstep. Ankara is wary of the presence of Kurdish militants close to its borders in Syria, and has been opposed to Washington’s efforts to train and arm them in the Arab country.

Full story: tasnimnews.com

Tasnim News Agency