After days of poor weather conditions, Turkish commando units and Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters, backed by Turkish air and ground forces, launched Sunday an assault on heavily-fortified terrorist People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria's strategic Mt. Barsaya, capturing the position in the afternoon.
The mountain overlooks the plain and the shortest route between the towns of FSA-held Azaz and YPG-held Afrin. Its location also allows YPG terrorists to target civilians in the Turkish border province of Kilis and Syrian town of Azaz through mortar, artillery and rocket strikes.
YPG terrorists have constructed concrete tunnels, towers and other fortifications on the mountain to delay its capture for as long as possible.
Due to heavy fog and rain, the advance on the mountain, which was partially captured on the first day of Operation Olive Branch, has been stalled for the last three days.
On Sunday, the ninth day of the operation, Turkish jets, howitzers and tanks have conducted heavy bombardment of YPG positions, followed by close combat.
Speaking at the ruling Justice and Development Party (AK Party) provincial congress in central province of Çorum on Sunday, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said that the commander in charge of the operation has informed him that the mountain will soon be cleared of terrorists.
On Jan. 20, the Turkish military launched an operation on Afrin to clear its border of the PKK's Syrian affiliate, the Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia, to prevent them from establishing an autonomous region, which Turkish officials call a "terror corridor," by connecting the northwestern Afrin canton to the Kobani and Jazeera cantons to the east.
According to the military, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and in the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.
The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, U.N. Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the U.N. charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, the military said.
The military also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and "utmost importance" is being put on not harming any civilians.
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.
Currently, the PKK/PYD/YPG controls approximately 25 percent of Syrian territory and 65 percent of the 900-kilometer border with Turkey.
