A year after Afrin's liberation, Turkey, FSA continue to maintain security

Turkish and Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces prevented a bomb attack in northwestern Syria's Afrin on Monday, which was the first anniversary of the city's liberation from the PKK-affiliated the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Anadolu Agency (AA) reported yesterday that FSA forces patrolling the city center with bomb detection dogs discovered a bomb-laden vehicle. The authorities said the vehicle carried around 15 kilograms of cluster TNT explosives and may have been planned to be detonated yesterday.

Following the discovery, the bomb was disarmed and security measures were increased in the region.

Turkey and the FSA launched Operation Olive Branch on Jan. 20, 2018 to clear PKK-affiliated terrorists from Afrin. The Turkish military and the FSA entered Afrin town center and liberated it from terrorists on March 18.

Afrin city center was previously hit by two bombs, killing 10 people, including FSA members, and injuring 18 others on Jan. 20, 2019, the first anniversary of the launch of Operation Olive Branch.

After the incident, the city was also rocked by a second bomb, marking the second terrorist attack in the city in just one week. None of the terrorist groups, however, claimed responsibility for the attacks in Afrin, yet suspicion loomed over the YPG, due to Ankara's announcement of an imminent operation into areas held by the terrorist group.