New Turkish drone footage emerged late Wednesday showing People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorists trying to hinder civilians from leaving Afrin by digging ditches, as the town is being cleansed of terror by Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and the Free Syrian Army (FSA).
In the video, civilians are seen confronting the terrorists as they attempt to leave the town. As the bulldozers make ditches, civilians try to stop the heavy machinery and stand up to the terrorists.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists from the Afrin region in northwestern Syria. According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey's borders and in the region as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Wednesday that he hopes Afrin town center, controlled by YPG terrorists, will be fully encircled by Wednesday evening, noting that the TSK and FSA are showing utmost care and sensitivity to prevent harm on civilians.
The operation is being carried out under a framework of Turkey's rights to act in self-defense based on international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, and the U.N. charter while showing respect for Syria's territorial integrity.
The operation in Afrin, which borders Turkey's Hatay and Kilis, was long expected after Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria cleared Daesh terrorists from Turkey's border between Aug. 24, 2016, and March 2017.
Afrin has been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city under the terror group's control without any confrontation.
