On January 21, the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) announced that its fighters repelled several attacks of the Turkish Army and its proxies from the Free Syrian Army (FSA) north of the city of Afrin in the Syrian province of Aleppo. The YPG also claimed that Turkish forces were not able to capture any village.
Meanwhile, pro-Turkish sources say that at least 3 villages were seized by the Turkish Army.
According to the Kurdish Hawar News Agency (ANHA), YPG fighters killed more than 15 members of the Turkish-backed FSA groups and injured dozens others while repelling the attacks.
Meanwhile, Turkish sources said that warplanes of the Turkish Air Force (TAF) conducted more airstrikes on positions of the YPG around Afrin, including an ammo depot.
Another footage from the Turkish Air Force aerial bombardment against #Pkk ammo depot in #Afrin. #OperationOliveBranch #AfrinOperasyonu pic.twitter.com/oCLPqBfoVY
— Cemal (@Acemal71) 21 January 2018
The sources also revealed that the TAF is using a Bayraktar TB-2 unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) in its aerial operations over Afrin.
The YPG said that 11 civilians were killed and 16 others were injured in the Turkish bombardment on Afrin area. However, the Kurdish force didn’t provide any information regarding its loses.
From its side, the YPG launched more rockets on the city of Kilis in southern Turkey. The Turkish Anadolu Agency reported that 37 Turkish civilians were injured in the YPG’s rocket attacks on southern Turkey.
2 rockets hit Turkey’s Reyhanli:
? 2 new rockets from #Afrin, have hit #Reyhanli town again. No word on casualties.pic.twitter.com/e9lUrZuWtK
— tahtakuslar (@taylieli) 21 January 2018
The Turkish Army will likely deploy more forces and armored units towards Afrin in the upcoming days to speed up its attack on the Kurdish militias there.
