Turkey troops shell Syria allied forces in Afrin

Free Syrian Army (FSA) member backed by Turkish military is seen at a village in Afrin in Syria on 21 January 2018 [Bekir El Kasım/Anadolu Agency

Turkish army forces and allied Syrian opposition groups have shelled a convoy of pro-Syrian government troops as they entered the city of Afrin.

The Turkish army and fighters from the Free Syrian Army launched “Operation Olive Branch” on 20 January against the Kurdistan Democratic Union Party (PYD), considered by Turkey as the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), and Daesh in Afrin.

Some 1,200 Turkish fighters set off from Izmir on military aircrafts heading to join the fighting in Syria yesterday, the Anadolu Agency reported.

On Sunday, Syrian Kurdish forces reported that they had agreed to have the Damascus government send troops to Afrin to help battle the Turkish offensive.

Turkey has said it will confront Bashar Al-Assad’s troops if they help protect the Kurds in Afrin.

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