At least 260 PKK/PYD/YPG and Daesh terrorists have been killed so far in Operation Olive Branch, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said in a written statement late Tuesday.

One Turkish officer was killed, and another was injured in clashes on the fourth day of the counter-terror operation in northwestern Syria's Afrin, the statement added.

The TSK previously said that First Lieutenant Oğuz Kaan Usta and Specialized Sergeant Mehmet Muratdağı were killed during clashes with terrorists in Afrin.

So far, three soldiers have been killed in Operation Olive Branch, which was launched by Turkey on Saturday to remove the PKK/PYD/YPG/KCK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin in northwestern Syria.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and in the region as well as to protect Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights within international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, its right to self-defense under the U.N. charter and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military also said "utmost importance" is being placed on not harming any civilians.

The operation in Afrin – bordering Turkey's Hatay and Kilis provinces – was widely expected in the wake of Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria, which cleared Daesh terrorists from Turkey's border between Aug. 24, 2016, and March 2017.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.