Turkey-led forces kick off assault to seize Afrin from Kurdish fightersMarch 10, 2018 - 15:30 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - The Turkish Army and pro-Ankara militias have kicked-off the most critical phase of their Olive Branch operation against Kurdish forces in Aleppo province – the assault to seize the city of Afrin, Al-Masdar News reports. On Saturday, March 10 morning, Turkey-led forces operating out of Afrin’s northern countryside (Sharan axis) sprung into action, seizing the villages of Kurt Kulak and Kafr Rum en-route to the regional capital. The advances of the Turkish troops and Turkish-backed forces on the ground was backed up by airstrikes from Turkish warplanes which targeted frontline areas as well as Afrin city itself. Although a direct assault on Afrin seems imminent, it appears Turkey-led forces will also attempt to bypass the city to the east and cut off Kurdish communication lines running to it via government-controlled territory in Aleppo province. Photo. AP Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads. Partner news | Armenian, Saudi Foreign Minister meet in Riyadh The two commended the positive dynamics of the development of political dialogue between Armenia and Saudi Arabia Pashinyan: Azerbaijan’s proximity shouldn’t worry border residents At the same time, he said that he “does not guarantee [the security of villagers] one hundred percent”. U.S. doesn’t see Russia as contributing to peace in Caucasus Patel made the remarks when asked about the implications of Russia’s withdrawal of peacekeepers from Karabakh. Up to 1% cashback when shopping on Wildberries with IDBank cards IDBank is launching an exclusive campaign on Wildberries for online shopping enthusiasts. |