“Our forces carried out actions on the military bases of the occupying Turkish army forces in the past two days,” the YPG announced in a statement on Friday.
On Thursday night, the YPG attacked a military base in Qurtqulak village, about 8 kilometres north of Afrin city, killing a “large number of soldiers and mercenaries,” the force stated.
Earlier in the day, forces attacked another military base near Maryamain village, 7 kilometres east of Afrin city, resulting in intense clashes and causing “many casualties.”
The YPG stated three of their own ranks were killed in the two incidents.
The Turkish army, backing Syrian militias, launched Operation Olive Branch against the YPG in Afrin in January, taking control of the Kurdish canton after two months of intense fighting.
Turkey considers the YPG a branch of the PKK, a named terror organization.
The YPG has condemned the Turkish operation as an invasion and attempt to demographically change the predominantly Kurdish area by settling rebels and Syrians from other parts of the country in the homes abandoned by residents who fled the violence. The forces vowed to continue a guerilla-style campaign against the Olive Branch forces.
Speaking at an iftar event on Thursday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said they have “neutralized” 4,500 “terrorists” in Afrin since January 20. Turkey uses the term “neutralized” to refer to those killed, injured, or otherwise removed from the battlefield.
Erdogan said that peace and security have now returned to Afrin.
Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said they have been successful in securing their borders.
“Thanks to Allah, we shattered the circle of terror that was trying to establish itself on our southern borders,” he said at a campaign rally in Giresun on Thursday, Anadolu Agency reported.
He referred to the Olive Branch operation and the Euphrates Shield offensive west of the Euphrates River in 2016 and once again vowed to continue the military campaign eastward.
Turkey has set its eyes on Manbij next. The city is under control of local military and civil councils that are backed by the Kurdish forces and US-led coalition allies. Washington and Ankara are currently in talks about the future of Manbij. Turkey wants to see the YPG booted out, but Kurds say they have received assurances of support from their American allies.
