Turkish airstrikes killed at least 36 pro-regime fighters backing Kurdish militia in Syria’s north-west Kurdish enclave of Afrin on Saturday, a monitoring group said. The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces alliance said the Turkish raids targeted pro-regime positions, but gave no death toll.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the strikes on Kafr Janna were the third such raid on loyalist fighters in the enclave bordering Turkey in less than 48 hours. They came after Turkish raids on other parts of the enclave killed 14 pro-regime fighters on Thursday and four more on Friday, the monitor said.

Turkish-led Syrian opposition fighters have advanced steadily since 20 January when they launched an assault on Afrin, controlled by Kurdish YPG units. The Syrian government deployed fighters to the enclave a month later after the Kurds appealed for help.

The Observatory says Turkish-led forces control more than 20% of the enclave after seizing the area of Rajo in the north-west of Afrin on Saturday. They also seized a strategic mountain in the north-east of the enclave, a military official from the Turkish-led operation said.

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Ankara says the YPG is a “terrorist” extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which has waged a three-decade insurgency against the Turkish state. The YPG has been a key component of a United States-backed Kurdish-Arab alliance that has been fighting Islamic State in Syria.

More than 140 civilians have been killed in Turkish bombardment since the start of the assault, but Turkey says it takes the “utmost care” to avoid civilian casualties. Thousands of civilians have fled their homes since the start of the operation, either to Afrin or nearby government-controlled areas.</s>BEIRUT, LEBANON (10:58 A.M.) – On Saturday morning, the Turkish Army and Syrian proxy militias under its command kicked-off their assault to capture the stronghold town of Raju in Syria’s Afrin region from Kurdish forces.

Backed up by airpower and artillery, Turkey-led forces – already stationed at the gates of Raju for several days now – quickly breached the town’s defenses and seized it within an hour.

It has become apparent that Kurdish paramilitary fighters did not even attempt to mount a defense of Raju, effectively abandoning it to the Turkish Army and its allies.

Now reports are emerging that pro-Ankara forces are preparing to storm another Kurdish stronghold south of Raju – the town of Jandaris.

Here Turkish forces have begun to outflank the town from the southern direction, so far capturing the nearby settlements of Ramadiye and Hamilek.

Overall it has become apparent that Ankara will continue its Olive Branch operation further into the depth of Syria’s Afrin region (particularly from the western direction) to further isolate Kurdish forces from the Turkish border.

Updates to follow.

Advertisements</s>A senior U.S. official said Washington is decisive on keeping promises made to Ankara concerning the presence of the People's Protection Units (YPG) in Manbij and that the aim is to not have YPG in the town.

"We remain committed to fulfilling our commitments regarding the YPG. To working closely with our Turkish allies to ensure peace, security and stability and prosperity in northern Syria," the senior official told Sabah daily Thursday.

Strained U.S.-Turkish relations have showed a sign of normalization after U.S. National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson paid official visits to Ankara last month. The U.S. support to the YPG, the Syrian affiliate of the PKK terrorist organization, has harmed ties with Turkey, leading to a loss of trust in Washington by Ankara.

"Both governments at the highest levels are committed to rebuilding trust in the relationship and are focused on the many opportunities that close cooperation between Turkey and the United States bring," the official said.

The U.S. had promised Turkey that the YPG would withdraw to west of the Euphrates during former President Barack Obama's terms, but the promise has not yet come to realization, stirring disagreements between Ankara and Washington. In addition, the U.S., under President Donald Trump, has continued to support the group militarily. Ankara considers the YPG to be a terrorist organization, but that U.S. does not and it has been supplying the group with truckloads of weapons and military equipment. Washington sees the YPG, under the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), as its most effective partner in fight against Daesh.

"We do not consider the YPG as an ally to the U.S. Our ally is Turkey. The goal is for Turkey and the U.S. is to jointly decide the future security arrangements for Manbij and we remain committed to fulfilling our promises regarding the YPG presence in Manbij. There needs to be some security arrangement in Manbij. Our intention is that it will not be the YPG," the official said, adding that both countries aim to establish a joint mechanism to decide on the future of security in Manbij.

As part of the new steps on the established mechanism, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is expected to visit the U.S. in March, diplomatic sources told Daily Sabah.

"The United States has made clear from the beginning our military cooperation with the YPG, that it was a temporary tactical arrangement aimed entirely at combating Daesh. We made clear that once Daesh was defeated we had no plans for enduring military relationship with the YPG and certainly no plans for enduring political relationship with PYD [Democratic Union Party]. That has not changed. We see some military cooperation with the YPG that will involve the return of some equipment. That hasn't changed," the official said.

Turkey sees the YPG presence in northern Syria as a threat to its national security, and has vowed to clear it from the region. On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) to clear the YPG from Afrin, and has said that after Afrin, it will expand the operation to areas east of the Euphrates with Manbij as the first area for an incursion.

"With regard to the Afrin operation, we respect Turkey's legitimate security needs, respect Turkey's right to ensure the safety of people in southern Turkey. We don't have people on the ground in Afrin. There are no American troops in Afrin. I certainly believe that the Turkish forces are making every effort to limit civilian casualties. We have no doubt about their efforts in that regard," the official said.

The YPG's ultimate aim is to establish an autonomous region in northern Syria by connecting the PYD's northwestern Afrin canton to its Kobani and Jazeera cantons in the northeast.

"We are committed to the unity of Syria, just as Turkey is. We think that Turkey can play an important role in the reconstruction of Syria once conditions there become more peaceful. We have no ambitions to create any sort of autonomous zones within Syria," the official continued.

Many in the U.S. have taken the YPG and PYD in Syria as the main representative of Syrian Kurds, despite documented oppression by the group in areas under its control of those critical of it. "The YPG and PYD do not represent all Kurds in Syria. There are a lot of other Kurds in Syria who deserve a voice in the future of their country," the official said.

The official highlighted that it is crucial to resolving existing problems as soon as possible, noting that some foreign powers enjoy seeing tensions between the two countries.</s>US has set up about 20 military bases on YPG-controlled territory in Syria, Russia says

The United States is determined to fulfill its pledges made to Turkey regarding the existence of People's Protection Units (YPG) in the Syrian city of Manbij and has no doubt that Turkey is paying utmost attention to ensure no civilians are harmed during Operation Olive Branch in Afrin, a top U.S. official told Sabah daily Thursday.

Highlighting the importance of partnership between the two countries, the unnamed U.S. official said that they aim to clear the YPG off of the Syrian city of Manbij, as they promised to Turkey.

"We do not see the YPG as the ally of the U.S. Turkey is our ally," the official said, adding that both countries aim to establish a joint mechanism to decide on the future of security in Manbij.

As part of the new steps on the established mechanism, Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu is expected to visit the U.S. in March, diplomatic sources told Daily Sabah.

The official continued by saying that there are no changes to the conditions regarding the return of some equipment given to the YPG.

"We have no plans to maintain our military relations with the YPG and the political relations with [its political wing] the Democratic Union Party (PYD) after the defeat of Daesh. This has not changed," he said.

The official highlighted that it is crucial to resolving existing problems as soon as possible, noting that some foreign powers enjoy seeing tensions between the two countries.

"We are aware of Turkey's legitimate right to secure its border to ensure the safety of its citizens living on the southern border," the official said.

Noting that the YPG/PYD do not represent all of the Kurds living in Syria, the official said that other Kurdish people living in the country should also have a say in the future of the country.

Turkey has long protested U.S. support for the PYD/YPG, the Syrian offshoot of the PKK terrorist group, and its military wing the YPG, while Washington has called it a "reliable ally" in its fight against Daesh in Syria.

Listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU, the PKK has waged a terror campaign against Turkey for more than 30 years, with a death toll of some 40,000 people.</s>The U.S. has set up around 20 military bases in Syria on territory controlled by the PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG), an official from Russia's Security Council said yesterday, the RIA news agency reported. "The return of peace and stability in Syria is hampered by the continuing external interference. For example, about 20 U.S. military bases have been established on the territory controlled by the self-defense forces of Kurdistan [YPG]," Alexander Venediktov, said, an aide to Security Council Secretary Nikolai Patrushev.

He added that Washington was supplying the YPG with the most advanced weapons. Previously, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the U.S. has 13 military bases in YPG-controlled areas, slamming the country's continuous support for the terrorist group. "They brought in 3,500 truckloads of armored vehicles, weapons, tanks, et cetera, and have 13 military bases, including five air bases. Now they are also establishing a new military base in Raqqa. They are distributing all the weapons, equipment and vehicles in these areas. When this is the actual situation, how convincing is it for the U.S. to say 'I am not involved in this business, I am just watching it, monitoring it from the air'?" Erdoğan said on Nov. 13 in Doha during an official visit to Qatar.

The YPG, under the umbrella group of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), has been heavily armed and equipped by the U.S. as part of the fight against Daesh. The U.S. has continued to call the group its partner despite Turkey arguing against fighting one terrorist group with another, referring to the PKK's Syrian affiliate. Turkey, the U.S. and the European Union list the PKK as a terrorist group, but Washington and Turkey's other Western allies have ignored the organic links between the PKK and the YPG by not listing it as a terrorist group.

Meanwhile, spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition against Daesh Col. Ryan Dillon shared a photo on the coalition's official Twitter page, where YPG terrorists, mentioned as "students" by Dillon, were seen attending counter explosives training organized by U.S. forces. "Students from SDF attend basic counter improvised explosive device course. Trainees sweep through dirt, exposing fake IEDs, & learn to dismantle/reduce threats. @CJTFOIR training enhances partner capacity, focusing on improving security capabilities," the tweet read.
Turkish troops and the Free Syrian Army seize control of the strategic town of Rajo, Syria, from YPG forces.