11 Turkish soldiers killed in 'Operation Olive Branch' in one day: Turkish army

ANKARA

Eleven Turkish soldiers were killed and 11 others were wounded in “Operation Olive Branch” carried out by the Turkish army in Syria’s northern Afrin district on Feb. 10, the Turkish Armed Forces announced in separate statements on the same day.

Three Turkish soldiers were killed and five soldiers were wounded in Afrin on Feb. 10, an initial military statement said.

A follow-up statement released on the same day said two more Turkish soldiers were killed and four were wounded in the military operations.

Another statement said four soldiers were killed and two more were wounded.

The soldiers were killed in clashes with People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants around a hill near Afrin.

Two Turkish Armed Forces personnel were killed when an attack helicopter crashed in Afrin during the ongoing operation on Feb. 10, Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım said.

The Turkish General Staff on Feb. 10 also said at least 1,141 YPG militants have been “neutralized” since the beginning of “Operation Olive Branch” in Afrin.

Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply the militants in question either surrendered or were killed or captured.

In a statement, the military said the Turkish Armed Forces had “destroyed” 36 YPG targets and “neutralized” 79 YPG militants in airstrikes that were carried out overnight on Feb. 10.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” to clear YPG militants from Afrin in northwestern Syria.