Terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK)’s Syrian offshoot, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), are in possession of U.S.-made TOW anti-tank missiles, that were used in Saturday’s terrorist attack which martyred five Turkish soldiers in Syria’s northwestern Afrin and the border province of Kilis, as Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch continues.
Immediately after the attack at Sheikh Haruz, an air operation targeting terrorist shelters, hideouts and weapon emplacements in the area was launched on Saturday at 5.52 p.m. local time (1452GMT).
Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20 along with Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin, northwestern Syria.
Since the start of the operation, the PYD/PKK has carried out cross-border attacks on Turkey by firing rockets at civilian neighborhoods.
According to the Turkish General Staff, Operation Olive Branch aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN Charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity.
In total, seven Turkish soldiers were martyred on Saturday during Operation Olive Branch, according to a Turkish General Staff statement.
The statement said one soldier was martyred in clashes with PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terror groups and the other in Turkey's Kilis province in an attack perpetrated by the same terror groups against a police station in the border province.
Later on Saturday, the Turkish General Staff said five more soldiers had been martyred in Sheikh Haruz, northeast of Afrin, when the terrorist group targeted a Turkish army tank.
A total of 13 Turkish soldiers were martyred by terrorists since the beginning of Operation Olive Branch.
Anti-tank missiles were an important part of the 5,000-truckload arms shipments sent by the U.S. to PKK/PYD terrorists. It is said that terrorists possess over 1,000 anti-tank missiles, which include certain state-of-the-art models, such as Javelin and U.S.-made AT-4, which were not even sold to Turkey, in addition to the TOW missiles that were used in Saturday’s attack against Turkish soldiers. PKK/PYD terrorists also have in their possession Russian-made Konkurs and Kornet anti-tank missiles.
The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the European Union and the United States. The PKK has been conducting armed violence in the southeastern part of Turkey since 1984. More than 40,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the three-decade long conflict.
