BEIRUT — Turkey warned the Syrian government Monday against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northern Syria where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

The warning sets up a potential clash between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, whose deployment would be a first step toward restoring President Bashar Assad’s presence along the border with Turkey.

The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces would enter Afrin “within hours” to “bolster” local forces in confronting Turkey’s “aggression” after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which controls Afrin.

Details of the deal were not announced by either side, and Kurdish officials said talks were still underway. By nightfall, no troops had entered Afrin.

Assad’s troops have had no presence in Afrin since they pulled out of most of northern Syria in 2012, as nation-wide protests against Assad transformed into a civil war. A return to the area, where a potent mix of regional and international powers have boots on the ground, could further complicate the situation and lead to unwanted confrontations.

But depending on the details of the agreement, it may also serve to defuse the situation in Afrin, where Turkey has been struggling to achieve results in its now monthlong offensive to push back YPG fighters from its borders.

Ankara considers the YPG a “terrorist group” linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey’s borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Turkey’s foreign minister, speaking at a news conference in Amman, Jordan, said Turkey would have no problem if Syrian government forces were entering Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters, but that it would strike back if it turns out the deployment was meant to shore up the Kurds against Turkey.

“If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Turkey has supported rebels fighting to overthrow Assad throughout the seven-year civil war, but in recent years has focused more on trying to contain the Kurds. Government troops deployed along its borders, at this point, may be more palatable for Ankara than the continued presence of the powerful YPG.

The group has received weapons and training from the U.S. for years and has been Washington’s main partner in the war against the Islamic State group in Syria.

It was not clear who, exactly, would enter Afrin. Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, said pro-government fighters known as “popular forces” would deploy to the area.

“The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty,” SANA said. It added that the deployment aims to “frustrate attempts by Erdogan’s regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organizations to occupy the area,” referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the Syrian forces will enter Afrin from the Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province.

“The army will deploy in several border areas in co-ordination with the People’s Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

“The army will set up military positions in the border area and the agreement is that the Syrian army and the YPG will defend Syria together,” the official said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-allied group led by the YPG that has won a series of major victories against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have clashed on occasion, and Assad technically opposes the Kurds’ demands for autonomy. But they have also indirectly worked together in the past, and Turkey represents a common enemy.

Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two discussed Turkey’s military offensive in Afrin. The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, and did not mention an agreement for government troops to enter Afrin.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters meanwhile continued to pound villages in the enclave with artillery, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria’s state media.
• As Syria sees one of the bloodiest periods of its war, UN calls for immediate cease-fire: ‘The war is far from over’
• ‘Spoils of the war from the female pigs’: Videos of Syrian militia abusing naked Kurdish fighter’s corpse stir outrage

The Observatory said Monday’s shelling by Turkish troops killed three people, including a child, and that others were wounded.

Turkey’s private Haberturk newspaper said the Syrian government forces were expected to deploy to four locations in the next two days and 52 locations within the week. The paper claimed that under the deal, the YPG had agreed to hand over heavy weapons it holds. The paper did not provide a source for the report.

The Kurdish official told the AP that the reports about the YPG handing over their weapons are “totally untrue.”

Elsewhere in Syria, government shelling of the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus killed at least 30 people, according to opposition activists and paramedics.

The besieged region known as eastern Ghouta has been subjected to weekslong bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people. Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Observatory said Monday’s airstrikes and shelling killed 44 people. The Syrian Civil Defence, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels, in return, fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.

— Associated Press writers Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, Karin Laub in Amman, Jordan, and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report</s>BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

A Turkish minister says reports that Syrian government forces are entering a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave "are false," adding that any move by Damascus to protect the Kurdish militia there would be a "disaster" for the region.

Speaking to reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Turkey was determined to continue its military offensive in the Afrin enclave and has no plans to withdraw.

Bozdag said "this offensive will continue with determination until the last terrorist is rendered ineffective." Turkey views the Kurdish fighters in Afrin as terrorists because of their links to insurgents fighting inside Turkey's borders.

Syrian state media reported earlier that pro-government forces would enter Afrin "within hours" to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkey's "aggression" after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia.

Bozdag said: "This report has not been confirmed by authorities. It is false and has no relation with the truth."

Turkish officials say the president has held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart during which the two reaffirmed their determination to cooperate in the fight against "terrorism" in Syria.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin on Monday also discussed Turkey's military offensive in the Syrian Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin and their efforts to set up observation posts in Syria's northern Idlib province. The posts are being set up as part of a joint Turkish, Russian and Iranian agreement to establish a "de-escalation" zone in the region.

The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

The two leaders spoke as Syrian state media reported that pro-Syrian government forces will begin entering Afrin. Turkey's foreign minister has said his country is ready to battle the Syrian troops if they enter to protect Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics say government airstrikes and the shelling of rebel-held eastern suburbs of the capital have killed at least 18 people.

The targeted suburbs, known as eastern Ghouta, have been subjected to weeks-long bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people.

Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's airstrikes and shelling on suburbs including Saqba, Sheifouniyeh and Jisreen killed 18 people.

The Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.

The Turkish foreign minister says his country is ready to battle Syrian government troops if they enter an enclave in northern Syria to protect Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke on Monday in Jordan's capital, Amman, as Syrian state media reported that pro-Syrian government forces will begin entering the Afrin enclave "within hours," after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia in control of the region.

The official Syrian news agency SANA said the forces will deploy in Afrin to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkish "aggression." This suggested the Syrian government and Kurdish fighters — a militia known as YPG militia — have struck a deal under which the government forces would help repel an ongoing Turkish offensive on the enclave.

The Turkish minister says that "if the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers."

Turkish officials have increased to 786 the number of people detained so far in Turkey for criticizing the country's military offensive in northern Syria.

Authorities have been cracking down on protests and social media criticisms of its military operation into the Syrian Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin, accusing perpetrators of engaging in "terror propaganda."

Those detained have included Kurdish politicians and doctors in Turkey who have warned against the operation's human costs.

Turkey launched its offensive on Jan. 20 to clear Afrin of Syrian Kurdish militia which Turkey considers to be an offshoot of its own outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting within Turkey.

An Interior Ministry statement on Monday says at least 587 incidents of social media "propaganda" and 85 protests had occurred since Jan. 20

Syrian state TV says pro-government forces will begin entering the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the country's northwest "within hours."

The TV gave no further details about the deployment of the troops, known as "popular forces," which comes amid reports that an agreement has been reached between the Syrian government and the main Syrian Kurdish militia in control of the area.

The agreement may prompt Turkey to pull out its forces and end a month-long air and ground offensive that aims to oust the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, from the border enclave.

The deployment would bring Syrian troops closer to the border with Turkey.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Pro-Syrian government forces have entered the contested canton of Afrin to help Kurdish forces defend against a Turkish offensive - a further escalation in Syria’s already complex civil war.

Footage broadcast by Hezbollah and Syrian regime-allied outlets showed convoys of tanks carrying Syrian flags and soldiers brandishing weapons entering the northwestern part of the country from Aleppo on Tuesday. Syrian state media reported they had been targeted by Turkish shellfire.

The new forces are mostly believed to be made up of the Shia Iranian-backed Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU).

We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras.

“The Syrian government has responded to the call of the duty and sent military units on this day... to deploy along the border and take part in defending the unity of Syria's territory and borders,” Nouri Mahmoud, a spokesperson for the Kurdish YPG militia, said in a statement.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan launched the air and ground offensive Operation Olive Branch last month, opening a new front in Syria’s bloody conflict which has already killed dozens of civilians and fighters on both sides.

Turkey has been widely accused of not properly vetting the Sunni Syrian fighters it is using in the offensive. Both sides have accused the other of war crimes, targeting civilians and mutilating the bodies of fallen soldiers.

Turkey views the Kurdish YPG as an extension of its own separatist PKK, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by Ankara as well as the EU and US.

Shape Created with Sketch. Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria – in pictures Show all 9 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Turkish attack on Afrin, northern Syria – in pictures 1/9 Smoke billows following a Turkish airstrike on a village in the Afrin district, on 28 January, 2018. Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes AFP 2/9 Smoke billows from surrounding villages during the Turkish military operation against the Kurdish enclave on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 3/9 Twenty-year old Kifah al-Moussa, a Syrian Arab woman living among the Kurds of Afrin province, was working on a chicken farm in the village of Maryameen when a Turkish aircraft bombed the building at midday on 21 January, wounding her in the chest. When she recovered consciousness, she found eight people from one family lying dead around her Yara Ismail 4/9 Mohamed Hussein, a 58-year-old Kurdish farmer, lies in the Afrin hospital, wounded in the head and eye after his home was bombed by Turkish aircraft on the second night of the attack Yara Ismail 5/9 Syrian Kurds sit on benches overlooking a street in Afrin, on 28 January, 2018. Above is a memorial to ‘martyrs’ who died in the fight against Isis AFP/Getty 6/9 Smoke is seen rising on the Syrian side of the border, at Hassa, near Hatay, southern Turkey as Turkish jet fighters hit People's Protection Unit (YPG) positions, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 7/9 A Turkish made T-155 Firtina (Storm) howitzer is dispatched to the border at Hassa near Hatay, southern Turkey, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 8/9 A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters 9/9 Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Barsaya mountain, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters 1/9 Smoke billows following a Turkish airstrike on a village in the Afrin district, on 28 January, 2018. Turkey launched operation "Olive Branch" on January 20 against the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) militia in Afrin, supporting Syrian opposition fighters with ground troops and air strikes AFP 2/9 Smoke billows from surrounding villages during the Turkish military operation against the Kurdish enclave on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 3/9 Twenty-year old Kifah al-Moussa, a Syrian Arab woman living among the Kurds of Afrin province, was working on a chicken farm in the village of Maryameen when a Turkish aircraft bombed the building at midday on 21 January, wounding her in the chest. When she recovered consciousness, she found eight people from one family lying dead around her Yara Ismail 4/9 Mohamed Hussein, a 58-year-old Kurdish farmer, lies in the Afrin hospital, wounded in the head and eye after his home was bombed by Turkish aircraft on the second night of the attack Yara Ismail 5/9 Syrian Kurds sit on benches overlooking a street in Afrin, on 28 January, 2018. Above is a memorial to ‘martyrs’ who died in the fight against Isis AFP/Getty 6/9 Smoke is seen rising on the Syrian side of the border, at Hassa, near Hatay, southern Turkey as Turkish jet fighters hit People's Protection Unit (YPG) positions, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 7/9 A Turkish made T-155 Firtina (Storm) howitzer is dispatched to the border at Hassa near Hatay, southern Turkey, on 28 January, 2018 AFP/Getty 8/9 A Turkish soldier waves a flag on Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters 9/9 Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army fighters are seen in Barsaya mountain, northeast of Afrin, on 28 January, 2018 Reuters

The YPG and broader Arab-Kurdish coalition Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have won widespread Western support over the past few years as the most effective ground force against Isis.

In January the US pledged continued support for the YPG and SDF to ensure the jihadi militants do not form a resurgent movement, a strategy which enraged Turkey and contributed to the decision to launch the new offensive on Afrin.

The entry of forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar al Assad into the new theatre raises the spectre of a wider escalation.

Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Independent news email Only the best news in your inbox Enter your email address Continue Continue Please enter an email address Email address is invalid Fill out this field Email address is invalid Email already exists. Log in to update your newsletter preferences Register with your social account or click here to log in I would like to receive morning headlines Monday - Friday plus breaking news alerts by email Update newsletter preferences

The deal was first reported on Sunday, when a Kurdish official said there was a agreement with Mr Assad's government for the army to enter Afrin and deploy along the border - but that the agreement did not extend to political relations between Damascus and the YPG.

The two sides have at times been in direct conflict and at others have formed realpolitik alliances during the seven-year-old conflict.

The move flies in the face of remarks from Mr Erdogan earlier on Tuesday, said Ankara had worked alongside the Syrian government’s ally Russia to prevent any deployment by pro-Syrian government forces.

On Monday, Turkey warned it was not afraid to confront government forces if they entered Afrin to help the YPG.

Despite international calls to halt the offensive, President Erdogan has remained bullish, repeatedly threatening that his forces could extend their offensive as far east as Manbij – which could bring them into direct conflict with the US-backed SDF coalition and stationed US troops.

News agencies contributed to this report</s>BEIRUT — Turkey warned the Syrian government Monday against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northern Syria where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

The warning sets up a potential clash between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, whose deployment would be a first step toward restoring President Bashar Assad's presence along the border with Turkey.

The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces would enter Afrin "within hours" to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkey's "aggression" after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, which controls Afrin.

Details of the deal were not announced by either side, and Kurdish officials said talks were still underway. By nightfall, no troops had entered Afrin.

Assad's troops have had no presence in Afrin since they pulled out of most of northern Syria in 2012, as nation-wide protests against Assad transformed into a civil war. A return to the area, where a potent mix of regional and international powers have boots on the ground, could further complicate the situation and lead to unwanted confrontations.

But depending on the details of the agreement, it may also serve to defuse the situation in Afrin, where Turkey has been struggling to achieve results in its now monthlong offensive to push back YPG fighters from its borders.

Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist group" linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey's borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Turkey's foreign minister, speaking at a news conference in Amman, Jordan, said Turkey would have no problem if Syrian government forces were entering Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters, but that it would strike back if it turns out the deployment was meant to shore up the Kurds against Turkey.

"If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Turkey's Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag later denied the Syrian state media reports, saying they were "false" and had "not been confirmed by authorities." He added, however, that any move to protect the Kurdish fighters would be a "disaster" for the region.

Turkey has supported rebels fighting to overthrow Assad throughout the seven-year civil war, but in recent years has focused more on trying to contain the Kurds. Government troops deployed along its borders, at this point, may be more palatable for Ankara than the continued presence of the powerful YPG.

The group has received weapons and training from the U.S. for years and has been Washington's main partner in the war against the Islamic State group in Syria.

It was not clear who, exactly, would enter Afrin. Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, said pro-government fighters known as "popular forces" would deploy to the area.

"The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty," SANA said. It added that the deployment aims to "frustrate attempts by Erdogan's regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organizations to occupy the area," referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the Syrian forces will enter Afrin from the Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province.

"The army will deploy in several border areas in coordination with the People's Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

"The army will set up military positions in the border area and the agreement is that the Syrian army and the YPG will defend Syria together," the official said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-allied group led by the YPG that has won a series of major victories against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have clashed on occasion, and Assad technically opposes the Kurds' demands for autonomy. But they have also indirectly worked together in the past, and Turkey represents a common enemy.

Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two discussed Turkey's military offensive in Afrin. The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, and did not mention an agreement for government troops to enter Afrin.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters meanwhile continued to pound villages in the enclave with artillery, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria's state media.

The Observatory said Monday's shelling by Turkish troops killed three people, including a child, and that others were wounded.

Elsewhere in Syria, government shelling of the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus killed at least 30 people, according to opposition activists and paramedics.

The besieged region known as eastern Ghouta has been subjected to weekslong bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people. Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Observatory said Monday's airstrikes and shelling killed 44 people. The Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels, in return, fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.</s>Turkey warned the Syrian government Monday against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northern Syria where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

The warning sets up a potential clash between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, whose deployment would be a first step toward restoring President Bashar Assad’s presence along the border with Turkey.

The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces would enter Afrin “within hours” to “bolster” local forces in confronting Turkey’s “aggression” after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which controls Afrin.

Details of the deal were not announced by either side, and Kurdish officials said talks were still underway. By nightfall, no troops had entered Afrin.

Assad’s troops have had no presence in Afrin since they pulled out of most of northern Syria in 2012, as nation-wide protests against Assad transformed into a civil war. A return to the area, where a potent mix of regional and international powers have boots on the ground, could further complicate the situation and lead to unwanted confrontations.

But depending on the details of the agreement, it may also serve to defuse the situation in Afrin, where Turkey has been struggling to achieve results in its now monthlong offensive to push back YPG fighters from its borders.

Ankara considers the YPG a “terrorist group” linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey’s borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Turkey’s foreign minister, speaking at a news conference in Amman, Jordan, said Turkey would have no problem if Syrian government forces were entering Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters, but that it would strike back if it turns out the deployment was meant to shore up the Kurds against Turkey.

“If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Turkey has supported rebels fighting to overthrow Assad throughout the seven-year civil war, but in recent years has focused more on trying to contain the Kurds. Government troops deployed along its borders, at this point, may be more palatable for Ankara than the continued presence of the powerful YPG.

The group has received weapons and training from the U.S. for years and has been Washington’s main partner in the war against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.

It was not clear who, exactly, would enter Afrin. Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, said pro-government fighters known as “popular forces” would deploy to the area.

“The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty,” SANA said. It added that the deployment aims to “frustrate attempts by Erdogan’s regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organizations to occupy the area,” referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the Syrian forces will enter Afrin from the Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province.

“The army will deploy in several border areas in coordination with the People’s Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

“The army will set up military positions in the border area and the agreement is that the Syrian army and the YPG will defend Syria together,” the official said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-allied group led by the YPG that has won a series of major victories against the Islamic State terrorist group in Syria.

The Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have clashed on occasion, and Assad technically opposes the Kurds’ demands for autonomy. But they have also indirectly worked together in the past, and Turkey represents a common enemy.

Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two discussed Turkey’s military offensive in Afrin. The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, and did not mention an agreement for government troops to enter Afrin.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters meanwhile continued to pound villages in the enclave with artillery, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria’s state media.

The Observatory said Monday’s shelling by Turkish troops killed three people, including a child, and that others were wounded.

Turkey’s private Haberturk newspaper said the Syrian government forces were expected to deploy to four locations in the next two days and 52 locations within the week. The paper claimed that under the deal, the YPG had agreed to hand over heavy weapons it holds. The paper did not provide a source for the report.

The Kurdish official told the AP that the reports about the YPG handing over their weapons are “totally untrue.”

Elsewhere in Syria, government shelling of the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus killed at least 30 people, according to opposition activists and paramedics.

The besieged region known as eastern Ghouta has been subjected to weekslong bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people. Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Observatory said Monday’s airstrikes and shelling killed 44 people. The Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels, in return, fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.</s>BEIRUT — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

A Turkish minister says reports that Syrian government forces are entering a Syrian Kurdish-held enclave "are false," adding that any move by Damascus to protect the Kurdish militia there would be a "disaster" for the region.

Speaking to reporters after a weekly Cabinet meeting Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag said Turkey was determined to continue its military offensive in the Afrin enclave and has no plans to withdraw.

Bozdag said "this offensive will continue with determination until the last terrorist is rendered ineffective." Turkey views the Kurdish fighters in Afrin as terrorists because of their links to insurgents fighting inside Turkey's borders.

Syrian state media reported earlier that pro-government forces would enter Afrin "within hours" to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkey's "aggression" after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia.

Bozdag said: "This report has not been confirmed by authorities. It is false and has no relation with the truth."

Turkish officials say the president has held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart during which the two reaffirmed their determination to cooperate in the fight against "terrorism" in Syria.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Vladimir Putin on Monday also discussed Turkey's military offensive in the Syrian Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin and their efforts to set up observation posts in Syria's northern Idlib province. The posts are being set up as part of a joint Turkish, Russian and Iranian agreement to establish a "de-escalation" zone in the region.

The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations.

The two leaders spoke as Syrian state media reported that pro-Syrian government forces will begin entering Afrin. Turkey's foreign minister has said his country is ready to battle the Syrian troops if they enter to protect Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics say government airstrikes and the shelling of rebel-held eastern suburbs of the capital have killed at least 18 people.

The targeted suburbs, known as eastern Ghouta, have been subjected to weeks-long bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people.

Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Monday's airstrikes and shelling on suburbs including Saqba, Sheifouniyeh and Jisreen killed 18 people.

The Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.

The Turkish foreign minister says his country is ready to battle Syrian government troops if they enter an enclave in northern Syria to protect Syrian Kurdish fighters.

Mevlut Cavusoglu spoke on Monday in Jordan's capital, Amman, as Syrian state media reported that pro-Syrian government forces will begin entering the Afrin enclave "within hours," after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia in control of the region.

The official Syrian news agency SANA said the forces will deploy in Afrin to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkish "aggression." This suggested the Syrian government and Kurdish fighters — a militia known as YPG militia — have struck a deal under which the government forces would help repel an ongoing Turkish offensive on the enclave.

The Turkish minister says that "if the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers."

Turkish officials have increased to 786 the number of people detained so far in Turkey for criticizing the country's military offensive in northern Syria.

Authorities have been cracking down on protests and social media criticisms of its military operation into the Syrian Kurdish-held enclave of Afrin, accusing perpetrators of engaging in "terror propaganda."

Those detained have included Kurdish politicians and doctors in Turkey who have warned against the operation's human costs.

Turkey launched its offensive on Jan. 20 to clear Afrin of Syrian Kurdish militia which Turkey considers to be an offshoot of its own outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting within Turkey.

An Interior Ministry statement on Monday says at least 587 incidents of social media "propaganda" and 85 protests had occurred since Jan. 20

Syrian state TV says pro-government forces will begin entering the Syrian Kurdish enclave of Afrin in the country's northwest "within hours."

The TV gave no further details about the deployment of the troops, known as "popular forces," which comes amid reports that an agreement has been reached between the Syrian government and the main Syrian Kurdish militia in control of the area.

The agreement may prompt Turkey to pull out its forces and end a month-long air and ground offensive that aims to oust the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, from the border enclave.

The deployment would bring Syrian troops closer to the border with Turkey.</s>The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces would enter Afrin “within hours” to “bolster” local forces in confronting Turkey’s “aggression” after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, which controls Afrin.

The warning sets up a potential clash between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, whose deployment would be a first step toward restoring Syrian President Bashar Assad’s presence along the border with Turkey.

BEIRUT—Turkey warned the Syrian government Monday against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northern Syria where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

Details of the deal were not announced by either side, and Kurdish officials said talks were still underway. By nightfall, no troops had entered Afrin.

Assad’s troops have had no presence in Afrin since they pulled out of most of northern Syria in 2012, as nation-wide protests against Assad transformed into a civil war. A return to the area, where a potent mix of regional and international powers have boots on the ground, could further complicate the situation and lead to unwanted confrontations.

But depending on the details of the agreement, it may also serve to defuse the situation in Afrin, where Turkey has been struggling to achieve results in its now month-long offensive to push back YPG fighters from its borders.

Ankara considers the YPG a “terrorist group” linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey’s borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Turkey’s foreign minister, speaking at a news conference in Amman, Jordan, said Turkey would have no problem if Syrian government forces were entering Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters, but that it would strike back if it turns out the deployment was meant to shore up the Kurds against Turkey.

“If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers,” Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Turkey has supported rebels fighting to overthrow Assad throughout the seven-year civil war, but in recent years has focused more on trying to contain the Kurds. Government troops deployed along its borders, at this point, may be more palatable for Ankara than the continued presence of the powerful YPG.

The group has received weapons and training from the U.S. for years and has been Washington’s main partner in the war against Daesh, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Syria.

It was not clear who, exactly, would enter Afrin. Syria’s state-run news agency, SANA, said pro-government fighters known as “popular forces” would deploy to the area.

“The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty,” SANA said. It added that the deployment aims to “frustrate attempts by Erdogan’s regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organizations to occupy the area,” referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the Syrian forces will enter Afrin from the Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province.

“The army will deploy in several border areas in co-ordination with the People’s Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

“The army will set up military positions in the border area and the agreement is that the Syrian army and the YPG will defend Syria together,” the official said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-allied group led by the YPG that has won a series of major victories against Daesh in Syria.

The Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have clashed on occasion, and Assad technically opposes the Kurds’ demands for autonomy. But they have also indirectly worked together in the past, and Turkey represents a common enemy.

Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two discussed Turkey’s military offensive in Afrin. The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, and did not mention an agreement for government troops to enter Afrin.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters meanwhile continued to pound villages in the enclave with artillery, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria’s state media.

The Observatory said Monday’s shelling by Turkish troops killed three people, including a child, and that others were wounded.

Turkey’s private Haberturk newspaper said the Syrian government forces were expected to deploy to four locations in the next two days and 52 locations within the week. The paper claimed that under the deal, the YPG had agreed to hand over heavy weapons it holds. The paper did not provide a source for the report.

The Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the reports about the YPG handing over their weapons are “totally untrue.”

Elsewhere in Syria, government shelling of the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus killed at least 30 people, according to opposition activists and paramedics.

The besieged region known as eastern Ghouta has been subjected to weeks-long bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people. Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Observatory said Monday’s airstrikes and shelling killed 44 people. The Syrian Civil Defence, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels, in return, fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.</s>BEIRUT (AP) — The Latest on the conflict in Syria (all times local):

Turkey's president says Turkish artillery fire has pushed back a convoy of pro-Syrian government forces from an enclave in northern Syria.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan suggested Tuesday that the Shite fighters who entered the enclave of Afrin in a convoy of a dozen vehicles were acting alone. He warned that Turkey would not allow "such (a) wrongful step" in the future, adding that those who do "would pay a high price."

Speaking during a joint news conference with his Macedonian counterpart that the convoy of a dozen vehicles "were forced to turn back" following the shelling.

"That file has been closed for now," he said.

Turkey's state-run news agency says pro-Syrian government forces have turned back 10 kilometers (6 miles) from Afrin city following shelling by the Turkish military.

Anadolu Agency said the Turkish artillery fired "warning" strikes, forcing the militia group to turn back.

No other details were immediately available.

A group of pro-government Syrian fighters began entering the Afrin region from the nearby government-held village of Nubul. Turkish troops started shelling the area forcing journalists to flee, according to Syrian state TV.

A top Syrian opposition official has accused the government of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in rebel-held suburbs of the capital Damascus calling on the international community to react.

Nasr al-Hariri, who heads the committee that represents the Syrian opposition in U.N. talks with the government in Geneva, told reporters in Brussels on Tuesday that the opposition is committed to a political solution but "we are studying all the options." He was asked whether they will withdraw from the talks

Al-Hariri said the government bombardment of Damascus' eastern suburbs, also known as eastern Ghouta, are a "flagrant defiance of international law." He added that the U.N. Security Council should take "decisive decisions."

Earlier on Tuesday, al-Hariri told the Pan Arab Al-Arabiya TV that the opposition is ready for negotiation for the withdrawal of al-Qaida-linked fighters from Ghouta if this would end the violence.

Al-Qaida-linked Levant Liberation Committee has presence in eastern Ghouta although it is not the most powerful group in the area.

A spokesman for the main Syrian Kurdish militia says government forces have started entering the northern enclave of Afrin to deploy along the border with Turkey and help defend it against advancing Turkish troops.

Tuesday's comments by Nouri Mahmoud, spokesman for the People's Protection Units, or YPG, came nearly an hour after pro-government Syrian fighters began entering the Afrin region from the nearby government-held village of Nubul.

Shortly after the fighters entered, Turkish troops started shelling the area forcing journalists to flee according to Syrian state TV.

He said the YPG had invited the government to enter the region to participate in defending Afrin and the border against Turkey's "unjust invasion."

Mahmoud added in a statement that the Syrian government sent some fighters starting Tuesday.

The U.N. envoy for Syria is decrying a recent upsurge in violence, expressing concerns that the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus could fall victim to widespread bloodshed like that in northern Aleppo more than a year ago.

Staffan de Mistura says world powers are not doing enough to halt the fighting over the rebel-held enclave east of the capital that is besieged by government forces.

He faulted President Bashar Assad's government, which is backed by Russia and Iran, for "obviously unleashing a lot of fire" recently.

De Mistura told reporters in his office in Geneva that "we are looking in front of us at an increasing tragedy" and decried "increasing incremental militarization of the conflict in eastern Ghouta."

"Bottom line: if we have learned something from Aleppo, (it's) time to actually avoid all this."

He pointed to "a lot of shelling on Damascus as well" recently, before adding, in remarks directed at the government and its allies: "The only difference is that one group has got better weapons. That's the only difference."

Syrian state TV is reporting that Turkish troops are shelling the entrance of the northern Kurdish enclave of Afrin shortly after scores of pro-government fighters entered the area.

The TV showed shells falling in an area where journalists gathered Tuesday forcing some of them to flee the area.

Minutes before the shelling, about 20 vehicles with heavy machine guns mounted on them were seen entering the area as part of an agreement between the government and the main Kurdish militia in Syria known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG.

Turkey has threatened Syrian troops not to help YPG fighters, warning that it will fight its backers.

Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist group" linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey's borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Pro-government Syrian fighters have started entering the northern Kurdish enclave of Afrin where Turkish troops have been on the offensive for a month.

Syrian state TV showed about 20 vehicles with heavy machine guns mounted on them entering Afrin from the nearby village of Nubul.

Scores of gunmen were on the vehicles waving Syrian flags and chanting pro-government slogans.

There was no immediate comment about the deployment from Kurdish officials.

Tuesday's deployment came a day after Turkey warned the Syrian government against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

The deployment came hours after Turkish media reported that Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have linked a swathe of land in the Afrin enclave to the Turkish-held Syrian city of Azaz.

Turkish media reports say Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition forces have linked a swathe of land in the Afrin enclave to the Turkish-held Syrian city of Azaz.

The private Dogan news agency said the advancing forces, which are battling a Syrian Kurdish militia, took control of a key road linking the two areas in northern Syria, along the border. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which closely monitors the conflict, confirmed the report.

Turkey's state-run Anadolu Agency said nine villages were captured on Tuesday, including four in the north of Afrin.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier that the Turkish forces would soon besiege Afrin's city center.

Turkey launched its offensive into Afrin on Jan. 20 to clear it of Syrian Kurdish fighters. It views the Kurdish fighters as terrorists because of their links to outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting inside Turkey.

Russia's Foreign Ministry says several dozen fighters hailing from Russia and former Soviet republics have been injured in Syria and flown to Russia for treatment.

The ministry's statement does not say where in Syria the fighters were injured but that it happened in "recent fighting." It comes amid mounting indications that Russian private contractors in Syria were part of pro-government forces that suffered heavy losses in a U.S. counterattack in the Deir el-Zour province on Feb. 7.

The Associated Press last week interviewed the mother of one of the killed mercenaries as well as families of the active Russian contractors.

Following its acknowledgement last week that five Russians had been killed by the U.S. strike in Syria, the Russian Foreign Ministry insisted Tuesday that the men were not on military duty and that the Russian military did not provide them any assistance.

A top Syrian opposition figure says government forces along with Iran and Russia are committing a new "Holocaust" in rebel-held suburbs of the capital Damascus.

Mohammed Alloush of the Army of Islam told The Associated Press Tuesday that the United Nations is also to blame "because of its bankruptcy and lies about protecting security and peace in the world."

Alloush's comments came after opposition activists and paramedics said that more than 100 people have been killed since Monday in the worst daily death toll in the eastern suburbs, also known as eastern Ghouta, in three years.

Alloush, whose militant group is the strongest in eastern Ghouta, described the government and its backers Russia and Iran as a "Satanic alliance" that is "unprecedented since World War II."

Alloush added that "a new Holocaust is being committed by the dirtiest regime on earth."

Turkey's president says Turkish troops involved in an offensive to drive out Syrian Kurdish militiamen from a Syrian enclave will soon begin a siege of the city of Afrin.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan told his ruling party's legislators on Tuesday that the month-long offensive into the northwester enclave of Afrin has so far been progressing slowly.

He says Turkey is not there "to burn and destroy" the enclave but to ensure it becomes a "safe and livable place."

Erdogan said that, however, "in the coming days, the siege of Afrin city center will commence at a more rapid pace."

Turkey launched its offensive to clear Afrin of the Syrian Kurdish militia it considers a "terrorist" organization and an extension to its own outlawed Kurdish rebels fighting within Turkey.

Turkish troops have so far seized border regions encircling Afrin, including strategic hills.

The U.N. children's agency has issued a statement of protest against the killing of scores of people, including children, in the Syrian government bombardment of rebel-held suburbs of Damascus.

UNICEF's one-page statement released on Tuesday carries a headline, saying: "Do those inflicting the suffering still have words to justify their barbaric acts?"

The headline is followed by blank space underneath.

UNICEF said it issued this blank statement because "we no longer have the words to describe children's suffering and our outrage."

Syrian opposition activists and paramedics said airstrikes and shelling of Damascus' eastern suburbs known as eastern Ghouta killed at least 98 people, including 20 children, on Monday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the daily death toll is the highest in the area since 2015.

Residents of the Syrian capital and the state-run news agency say shells from besieged rebel-held suburbs are raining down on Damascus.

SANA says Tuesday's shelling killed one person and wounded at least six people. It comes amid a major government offensive on the region known as eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Civil Defense affiliated with the opposition said the shelling and airstrikes killed 98 on Monday, adding that some people were still under the rubble.

A resident of Damascus hiding in the corridor of an office building described the shelling as one of the worst in months. The resident spoke on condition of anonymity for security concerns.

The shelling targeted the districts of Old Damascus, Bab Touma, Abu Rummaneh and others.

A Syrian monitoring group and paramedics say government shelling and airstrikes on rebel-held suburbs of the capital, Damascus, killed at least 98 people on Monday.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says it was the deadliest day in three years in the area known as eastern Ghouta.

The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets, said the shelling and airstrikes killed 98 and that some people are still under the rubble.

The Observatory says 20 children and 15 women were among those killed on Monday.

The targeted suburbs have been subjected to weeks-long bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people.

Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wider offensive on the area — the last main rebel stronghold near Damascus.

Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</s>Turkey warned the Syrian government Monday against entering the Kurdish-controlled enclave in northern Syria where a major Turkish military offensive is underway, saying it would hit back at the troops if their goal is to protect the Kurdish fighters.

The warning sets up a potential clash between Turkish troops and Syrian government forces backed by Russia and Iran, whose deployment would be a first step toward restoring President Bashar Assad's presence along the border with Turkey.

The warning by the Turkish foreign minister came shortly after Syrian state media said pro-government forces would enter Afrin "within hours" to "bolster" local forces in confronting Turkey's "aggression" after reaching an agreement with the Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units, or YPG, which controls Afrin.

Details of the deal were not announced by either side, and Kurdish officials said talks were still underway. By nightfall, no troops had entered Afrin.

Assad's troops have had no presence in Afrin since they pulled out of most of northern Syria in 2012, as nation-wide protests against Assad transformed into a civil war. A return to the area, where a potent mix of regional and international powers have boots on the ground, could further complicate the situation and lead to unwanted confrontations.

But depending on the details of the agreement, it may also serve to defuse the situation in Afrin, where Turkey has been struggling to achieve results in its now monthlong offensive to push back YPG fighters from its borders.

Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist group" linked to the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey's borders. On Jan. 20, it launched a major air and ground offensive, pounding the enclave with airstrikes and artillery on a daily basis.

Turkey's foreign minister, speaking at a news conference in Amman, Jordan, said Turkey would have no problem if Syrian government forces were entering Afrin to clear the area from YPG fighters, but that it would strike back if it turns out the deployment was meant to shore up the Kurds against Turkey.

"If the regime is entering to protect the YPG, then no one can stop us, stop Turkey or the Turkish soldiers," Mevlut Cavusoglu said.

Turkey has supported rebels fighting to overthrow Assad throughout the seven-year civil war, but in recent years has focused more on trying to contain the Kurds. Government troops deployed along its borders, at this point, may be more palatable for Ankara than the continued presence of the powerful YPG.

The group has received weapons and training from the U.S. for years and has been Washington's main partner in the war against the Islamic State group in Syria.

It was not clear who, exactly, would enter Afrin. Syria's state-run news agency, SANA, said pro-government fighters known as "popular forces" would deploy to the area.

"The popular forces joining the resistance against Turkish occupation in Afrin comes in the framework of supporting residents as well as defending Syria and its sovereignty," SANA said. It added that the deployment aims to "frustrate attempts by Erdogan's regime and its mercenaries of terrorist organizations to occupy the area," referring to Turkish-backed Syrian insurgents.

A Syrian Kurdish official told The Associated Press that the Syrian forces will enter Afrin from the Shiite villages of Nubul and Zahraa in Aleppo province.

"The army will deploy in several border areas in coordination with the People's Protection Units and the Syrian Democratic Forces," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to reveal details of the agreement.

"The army will set up military positions in the border area and the agreement is that the Syrian army and the YPG will defend Syria together," the official said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces are a U.S.-allied group led by the YPG that has won a series of major victories against the Islamic State group in Syria.

The Syrian government and Kurdish fighters have clashed on occasion, and Assad technically opposes the Kurds' demands for autonomy. But they have also indirectly worked together in the past, and Turkey represents a common enemy.

Turkish officials said President Recep Tayyip Erdogan held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, during which the two discussed Turkey's military offensive in Afrin. The Turkish officials detailed the call on condition of anonymity in line with government regulations, and did not mention an agreement for government troops to enter Afrin.

Turkish troops and allied Syrian opposition fighters meanwhile continued to pound villages in the enclave with artillery, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and Syria's state media.

The Observatory said Monday's shelling by Turkish troops killed three people, including a child, and that others were wounded.

Turkey's private Haberturk newspaper said the Syrian government forces were expected to deploy to four locations in the next two days and 52 locations within the week. The paper claimed that under the deal, the YPG had agreed to hand over heavy weapons it holds. The paper did not provide a source for the report.

The Kurdish official told the AP that the reports about the YPG handing over their weapons are "totally untrue."

Elsewhere in Syria, government shelling of the rebel-held eastern suburbs of Damascus killed at least 30 people, according to opposition activists and paramedics.

The besieged region known as eastern Ghouta has been subjected to weekslong bombardment that has killed and wounded hundreds of people. Opposition activists say government forces have brought in reinforcements in preparation for a wide offensive on the last main rebel stronghold near the capital.

The Observatory said Monday's airstrikes and shelling killed 44 people. The Syrian Civil Defense, volunteer first responders known as the White Helmets, said 30 people were killed in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state TV reported that rebels, in return, fired dozens of mortar rounds and rockets at Damascus, wounding eight people.</s>BEIRUT/ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey warned on Monday it would confront Syrian government forces if they entered Syria’s northwestern Afrin region to help the Kurdish YPG militia repel a Turkish offensive.

Turkey began its Afrin operation with allied Syrian rebels last month against the YPG, which Ankara sees as a threat along its border with links to the Kurdish PKK insurgency at home.

Ankara’s onslaught has further scrambled the matrix of rivalries and alliances in northern Syria among Kurdish forces, the Syrian government, insurgent factions, Turkey, Iran, the United States and Russia.

Monday’s comments by Turkey’s president and two of his ministers came after a senior Kurdish official said on Sunday that a deal had been struck for the Syrian army to go into Afrin soon to help fight the assault.

But YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud denied on Monday reaching such an agreement with the Damascus government.

Syrian state media said in the morning that pro-government militia would enter Afrin “within hours” but by sunset there were no signs of a deployment there. Turkey also said the report that Syrian troops were entering the region was “not true”.

“If (the Syrian army) comes in to defend the YPG, then nothing and nobody can stop Turkish soldiers,” Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in Jordan. Turkey would have no issue with Syrian troops entering Afrin if they did so to “cleanse” it of the Kurdish fighters, he added.

President Tayyip Erdogan later said in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin that Damascus would face consequences if it struck a deal with the YPG and said the Afrin operation would continue, CNN Turk reported. [L8N1Q93JQ]

There was no immediate comment from the Syrian military or from Moscow.

Erdogan also spoke to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani about developments in Syria’s Idlib and Afrin, a Turkish source said.

Badran Jia Kurd, an adviser to the Kurdish-led autonomous administration in north Syria, said on Sunday there was a military understanding between Damascus and Kurdish forces for the Syrian army to enter Afrin. But he added that it faced opposition which could derail it.

Another Syrian Kurdish political official said on Monday that pressure from Russia, the key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, had prevented the deal from going ahead so far.

YPG spokesman Nouri Mahmoud said there was only ”a call from us for the Syrian army to come in and protect the borders.

“This is its duty,” he said. “So far, the Syrian army has not fulfilled its duty towards Afrin.”

Deals between the Syrian government and the Kurdish forces, which each hold more territory than any other side in Syria, could prove pivotal for the future course of the war.

Since the onset of Syria’s conflict in 2011, the YPG and its allies have set up three autonomous cantons in the north, including Afrin bordering Turkey. Their sphere of influence expanded as they seized territory from Islamic State militants with U.S. help, though Washington opposes their political ambitions as does the Syrian government.

While Assad’s government and the YPG espouse different visions for Syria’s future and their forces have clashed at times, they have mostly avoided direct conflict.

Jia Kurd told Reuters on Sunday that Syrian army troops would deploy along some border positions under the deal between the Kurdish fighters and Damascus. He said the deal was only on military aspects and any political or other agreements would have to wait for further talks.

“Popular forces will arrive in Afrin in the next few hours to support the steadfastness of its people in confronting the aggression,” Syrian state news agency SANA said earlier.

Ankara regards the YPG as indistinguishable from the PKK, though the groups say they are independent from each other. Turkey, the United States, and Europe classify the PKK, a leftist Kurdish movement that has mounted a three-decade insurgency inside Turkey, as a terrorist organisation.

The Afrin offensive has strained the complex ties between the warring sides in northern Syria and their external supporters.

Turkey’s NATO ally the United States has armed the YPG as part of an alliance it backs in Syria against Islamic State, which has infuriated Ankara.

But while Washington has a military presence in the much larger swathes of Syria that the YPG and its allies control further east, it has not given support to the YPG in Afrin.

This month, the United States said it had killed hundreds of pro-government troops in strikes in eastern Syria because they were attacking the militia alliance that the YPG spearheads.
Pro-Syrian government forces are sent to help the Kurdish YPG fight against Turkey and the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army in the Afrin Region. This action opens up a new front in the war.