Ankara, Jan 23 (AFP) A Turkish soldier was killed as thecountry pressed its offensive against Kurdish militia targetsin northern Syria, the army said, confirming the operation'sfirst Turkish fatality on its third day.
"One of our heroic soldiers was martyred during clashes"with Kurdish militants from the People's Protection Units(YPG) militia southeast of the Turkish border town of Gulbabain Kilis on Monday, the Turkish army said in a statement.
The Turkish military launched operation "Olive Branch" onSaturday, its second major intervention in Syria's seven-yearcivil war.
The operation, with Turkish war planes and artillerybacking a major ground offensive involving Ankara-backedSyrian opposition fighters and Turkish tanks, aims to removethe YPG from its Afrin enclave.
Turkey views the YPG as an offshoot of the outlawedKurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), which has fought a decadeslong insurgency against the Turkish state.
It is blacklisted as a terror group by Ankara and itsWestern allies.
Ankara launched its first offensive in Syria dubbedEuphrates Shield in Syria in August 2016 to March 2017, whichtargeted the ouster of the Islamic State extremist group andthe YPG in an area east of Afrin.
A total of 72 Turkish soldiers were killed during thefirst operation. (AFP)AJR.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.