Syrian Kurdish Militants: 10 Killed in Turkish Attacks on Afrin

Kurdish militants in Syria say that during Turkish airstrikes on the Afrin region, "at least 10 people" were killed, of which "seven were civilians." A spokesperson for the People's Protection Units (YPG) told AFP that one of the seven civilians killed was a child. Three militants were also killed, with the spokesperson stating that two of them were women and one was a man. The Democratic Union Party also stated that the Turkish airstrikes left "at least 25 injured" in addition to the casualties among militants and civilians. The Turkish General Staff, in a statement published by the country's state news agency, claimed that all the dead and injured were members of "terrorist groups." Ankara considers the YPG and its political affiliate, the Democratic Union Party, as a branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in Turkey and thus "terrorist." The Turkish General Staff reported that its fighter jets bombed 108 out of 113 designated targets on Saturday, December 30. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim stated in a televised speech that "almost all" predetermined targets belonging to Kurdish militants in the Afrin region of northern Syria have been "destroyed." Nonetheless, Yildirim mentioned that Turkish ground forces would likely enter the Kurdish-controlled area in Afrin on Sunday, but this action "depends on developments." Reports indicate that Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has spoken by phone with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. The Chief of the Turkish General Staff has also informed his Russian and American counterparts about the country's operations in northern Syria. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Saturday that forces stationed near the city of Afrin had evacuated their positions following the start of the bombardment. Turkey launched an operation named "Olive Branch" on December 30, with dozens of fighter jets attacking the positions of Kurdish militants supported by the U.S. in Afrin. The Turkish military stated that the aim of this operation is to protect the country's borders, "cleanse" Syrian Kurdish militants in Afrin, and defend local people against "pressure and oppression" from the Kurds. The YPG is a militant group supported by the U.S.-led coalition in Syria and plays a significant role in attacks and ground operations against the group known as the "Islamic State." On January 13, the U.S.-led coalition confirmed that it is training and assisting in the formation of a new border guard in northern Syria, consisting of about 30,000 forces, half of whom are made up of militants from the Syrian Democratic Forces. The publication of this report has faced reactions from Ankara, Tehran, and Damascus.