Turkish troops are close to reaching the northwest Syrian city of Afrin, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Turkish forces are just a few hundred metres away from the north-eastern edge of Afrin, and also have troops on the eastern and southwest sides of the city, the organisation said.
Ankara launched an offensive in the region on its border in January, known as Operation Olive Branch, aiming to drive out the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia.
Speaking at a public rally on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkish troops had now liberated 850sq/km in the Kurdish-held area.
"Our concern isn't the land; our concern is to clear terrorists from there. Where there are terrorists, we'll be there," he said, according to Turkey's Anadolu news agency.
Turkey views the YPG as a terrorist organisation, saying it is linked to the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a Turkish-Kurdish group. The United States does not have troops in Afrin, but it supports the YPG in north-eastern Syria in an attempt to tackle Islamic State.
Erdogan reportedly said on Saturday that 3213 terrorists had been "neutralised" since the start of Operation Olive Branch, a term that can refer to killed or otherwise taken off the battlefield.
Australian Associated Press
