The battle of Afrin in Northern Syria
Turkey, the free Syrian army and the Kurds
Donald Trump’s homeland security adviser says the United States would prefer that Turkish troops “remove themselves” from a conflict in the Syrian border town of Afrin, and appealed to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to focus on “longer-term strategic goals” of a peaceable Syria.
Turkey battles YPG 'on two fronts' in Syria's Afrin
Turkish troops have taken control of 11 Syrian Kurdish force positions and created "safe zones" in neighbouring Syria's northwestern region of Afrin, according to Turkish media.
Reports on Tuesday said the Turkish army, aided by Free Syria Army rebels, is pushing towards the southern part of the Syrian region with fronts on the west and the east.
The Turkish army, which launched the Afrin operation on Saturday, captured the villages of Shankal, Qorne, Bali and Adah Manli, as well as the rural areas of Kita, Kordo and Bibno and four other hills in Afrin, Turkish daily Hurriyet reported.
State-run Anadolu news agency said that the forces launched a second front towards Afrin from Syria's Azaz on Monday to squeeze the People's Protection Units (YPG) - a Syrian Kurdish force - from both west and east in order to advance on southern Afrin.