Turkey and Syrian opposition conduct ‘peace op’ in Afrin

The Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) and opposition members from the Syrian National Army imposed a curfew on Sunday to conduct a “peace operation” in order to capture suspects who are in cooperation with Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) terrorists and the Assad regime in Syria's northwestern Afrin.

The operation was carried out by three armed divisions of the National Army and a total of 2,000 Free Syrian Army (FSA) members, targeting the headquarters of the groups and terrorists who harass civilians and seek to harm peace in the region.

It started early in the morning in Afrin’s city center, Jindares and Shaykh al-Hadid, and particularly targeted the Ahrar al-Sharqiya and Shuhadaa Hasakah groups.

Ahrar al-Sharqiya consists of members mostly from Syria’s Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and Shuhadaa Hasakah is comprised of people from the capital city of al-Hasakah Governorate, located in the far northeast of Syria.

A great deal of weapons and ammunitions were seized and hundreds arrested during the operation.

Colonel Haitham Afisi, head of the National Army, divulged the details of the peace operation to Yeni Şafak daily, and said that preparations started three days ago, aiming to capture those who backed the PKK’s terror activities and tried to provide intelligence to the Assad regime to undermine and tarnish Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch in coordination with FSA troops to clear PKK/YPG and Daesh terrorists from Afrin amid growing threats from the region.

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.