The Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) on Saturday captured seven more residential areas, including the Rajo town center northwest of Afrin, Anadolu's news agency reported.

According to the agency, the villages of Ramadiyah and Hamelika villages of Jinderes district -- located southwest of Afrin -- Ali Bazan, Qariqin, and Shamanli villages of Sharan district -- located northeast of Afrin -- and Badinli village of Rajo district

Crescent-shaped corridor

West of Afrin: On March 3, the Turkish military announced the capture of Ali Bazan, Qariqin, and Shamanli villages of Sharan district, and the Badinli village of Rajo district.

Southwest of Afrin , Ramadiyah and Hamelika villages of the Jinderes district were reportedly also captured.

Since February 26, areas controlled by the Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces in northern Syria have been reconnected in a crescent-shaped corridor from the northwestern Idlib province and Azaz eastward, Andalou's state-run news agency reported.

YPG access: Backed by Turkey, the FSA captured villages northwest of Afrin from the Kurdish-led People's Protection Units (YPG), cutting the militia's access to the Syria-Turkey border.

Afrin has been a major stronghold for the YPG since July 2012, when the Syrian government left the city to the group without a fight.

After Turkish and Free Syrian Army cut off the access of terrorists in Afrin, a crescent-shape corridor reconnected two areas held by Syrian opposition forces. pic.twitter.com/HmcXNBljxo — M. Bilal Kenasari (@MBilalKenasari) February 27, 2018

Turkish backing