Page 10 - ARUBA TODAY

A10 WORLD NEWS
Monday 19 March 2018

Turkey-backed forces capture Syrian Kurdish town of Afrin

By ZEYNEP BILGINSOY assault on Afrin an "occu-
SARAH EL DEEB pation" and vowed a "new
Associated Press phase" of guerrilla tactics
ISTANBUL (AP) — Turkish mil- against Turkish troops and
itary and allied Syrian forc- its allied Syrian fighters.
es marched into the center It is not clear what Turkey
of the northern Syrian town would do after the capture
of Afrin Sunday, raising their of Afrin. Turkey views the
flags and shooting in the Kurdish forces in the Afrin
air in celebration nearly enclave along the border
two months after launch- as terrorists linked to the
ing their offensive on the outlawed Kurdistan Work-
Kurdish enclave. The ad- ers' Party, or PKK, which has
vancing troops faced little waged a decades-long
resistance from the Kurdish insurgency within Turkey's
militia that retreated and borders.
vowed to turn to guerrilla Erdogan has repeatedly
tactics. said that Turkey will not al-
Turkey's President Re- low a "terror corridor" along
cep Tayyip Erdogan an- its border and has vowed
nounced the capture of to push east after Afrin.
Afrin, previously controlled Erdogan threatened to
by the Kurdish militia known move to Manbij, a Kurdish-
as the People's Defense run town to the east where
Units, or YPG. U.S. troops have also main-
"Many of the terrorists had tained a presence after A Turkish and a Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army soldier wave Turkish and FSA flags in the city
center of Afrin, northwestern Syria, early Sunday, March 18, 2018.
turned tail and run away it was cleared of Islamic (Hasan Kırmızitaş/DHA-Depo Photos via AP)
already," Erdogan said in a State militants in 2016.
speech in western Turkey. Washington's support to east could further inflame presence in Manbij. Turkey A Kurdish official Sunday
"In Afrin's center, it is no lon- the YPG, including arming tension. wants the YPG to pull out said the fight against IS in
ger the rags of the terror or- the militia and relying on it In an attempt to prevent from the town. northeastern Deir el-Zour
ganization that are waving to battle Islamic State mili- such a move east, Wash- Meanwhile, U.S. and Kurd- province, where remnants
but rather the symbols of tants in eastern Syria, has ington began discussions to ish officials said Turkey's of IS have remained, have
peace and security." strained relations between address Turkey's concerns fight with the YPG has dis- been put on hold as the
The Kurdish militia called the Turkey and the U.S. A push about the Kurdish militia's tracted from fighting IS. battle for Afrin unfolded.q

Syrian President Assad visits troops on Ghouta's front line

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — they are not only fighting long rule turned into a civil It would also be the worst smiles and stopped for
Syrian President Bashar for the region but also to rid war after a heavy crack- setback for rebels since the chats with soldiers. Some
Assad visited troops Sun- the world of terrorism. down. The government opposition was ousted from Soldiers posed with him,
day on the front line in the "With every bullet you fire fought the opposition for eastern Aleppo in late 2016 taking selfies. It was not
newly captured areas of at a terrorist, you change years, using its air force and after a similar siege and clear where in eastern Gh-
eastern Ghouta, near the the balance in the world," artillery and solicited help bombing campaign. outa Assad was.
capital Damascus, hailing Assad said. from its Russian and Ira- Assad stood near a tank Assad then climbed on
their recent advances as Syria's government views nian allies, who threw their and was surrounded by top of a tank and looked
a part of a larger battle all its opposition as terror- weight behind Assad. soldiers on a street in east- around, before stepping
against global terrorism. ists. Assad's visit comes on Recapturing eastern Ghou- ern Ghouta, the region down, also surrounded by
Standing in a neighbor- the week the war enters its ta, a short drive away from near Damascus where a soldiers. He told them the
hood street, Assad con- eighth year, a war that has the Syrian capital, would government offensive has residents of the capital,
gratulated his troops during devastated large parts of mark the biggest victory yet been underway over the who have come under re-
the visit broadcast on state- Syria, and displaced near- for President Bashar Assad past month. The soldiers peated fire and shelling
run Al-Ikhbariya TV. "We are ly half of the population. in the country's civil war. cheered and pumped fists from the rebel-held areas,
proud of you," he said. What started as peaceful The area has been under in the air. Assad, who wore appreciate the soldiers'
He told the soldiers that protests against his family's rebel control since 2012. a suit with no tie, flashed advances.q