1,780 terrorists 'neutralized' in Turkey's Operation Olive Branch

A total of 1,780 terrorists have been "neutralized" in Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin, the Turkish military said Wednesday.

The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) uses the term "neutralized" in reference to terrorists captured dead or alive, or those who surrendered during the operations. However, the term is usually used for the terrorists who were killed in the operations.

In a statement, the military said that the anti-terror operations continue at full speed, noting that 65 PKK-linked People's Protection Units (YPG) and Daesh terrorists have been neutralized in the past 24 hours.

The TSK and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Wednesday also liberated two villages.

According to Anadolu Agency, the northeastern village of Uverkan and the northwestern village of Qarababa were cleared from the YPG terrorists.

Since the beginning of the of the operation on Jan. 20 to remove the PKK/PYD/YPG/KCK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin district in northwestern Syria, one of Afrin's five towns, 62 villages, five smaller settlements, 20 strategic mountains and hills and one YPG/PKK training base have been cleared of the terrorist group.

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.