Nine Turkish soldiers were killed and 11 others were injured during clashes in Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin, the Turkish military said in a statement Saturday.

The statement by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) added that at least 28 PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG), Daesh and KCK terrorists were "neutralized," raising the total number of neutralized terrorists to 1141 on the 22nd day of the operation.

The Turkish military uses the term "neutralized" in reference to terrorists captured dead or alive, or those who surrender during the operations. However, the term is usually used for the terrorists who have been killed in the operations.

In another development on Saturday, two Turkish soldiers were killed after a military helicopter was downed during the Afrin operation.

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan warned those who shot down the helicopter will "surely pay a heavy price for it."

Operation Olive Branch was launched by Turkey on Jan. 20 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.