A Turkish military tank is seen near Mount Barsaya, northeast of Afrin, Syria January 23, 2018 © Khalil Ashawi / Reuters
At least 203 fighters of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (TFSA) and the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) have been killed in clashes in the Afrin area, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) said in a statement on January 24. The YPG added that its forces destroyed a battle tank and five vehicles and damaged two vehicles belonging to the TAF and TFSA.
The YPG also said that “tens” Turkish soliders were killed.
Turkish media has released 4 casualties so far. However tens of dead bodies of Turkish troops have been captured in Qudah mount, #Afrin (with their ID detected). – Qûdê tepesi direnişinde onlarca cenaze ve mühimmat ele geçirildi.https://t.co/PpoZCTDroH pic.twitter.com/wHKG76kIOj
— Rojava Defense Units | YPG (@DefenseUnits) 24 January 2018
According to local sources, the numbers provided by the both sides are dramatically overestimated. These statements are a part of the ongoing propaganda war between the sides.
Never count your soldiers, before the war is over.
While I tend to agree that both sides are overestimating, one thing is very clear. The ratio of TSK getting killed vs TFSA getting killed is some 1 vs 10 to 20.
How long will TFSA be able to endure if their lossess hit 500, a thousand if this goes on long enough?
Id say 1: 50 ratio (of actual turks dying). The turks have proved to be extremely cautious of any ambushes hence all the airstrikes and retreats.
Once TFSA quits, TSK will either have to do the dirty job themselves or they can only shell and bomb and forget about taking the region.
Why would the FSA quit? Their lives depend on the outcome of this war.
Because FSA is a bunch of cry babies
All there targets are important military installations like Chicken farms and goat farms, sending them so they wait for the dead Salafists and Wahhabis.
Whatever they say, they will be defeated by Turkey. “Rojava” is definitely surrounded and have no chance in long term…And that will be far better for Syria
I still think a political solution will happen between Damascus and Afrin. YPG will lose its support from the US if they reinforce their fighters in Afrin from north eastern Syria. Without their support they will lose every thing, so I think they will make a deal with the Syrian government.
Only those YPG/SDF units going to Afrin risk losing US support. There is no suggestion in anything that I have read that the US will totally withdraw support from YPG/SDF.
usa will do. for turkey.
what does that mean Solomon? The US is doing Turkey’s bidding?
usa needs bosphorus. not incirlik is imprtant, but the control of russian fleet. yanks always mex the shit, and except of vietnam always came out from wars, crises with profit and benefits. this is also in case of syria. tu has put his foot in syria, will not leave. always will find local leaders, who can bribe. kurds are minority in rojava, even less minority in territories conquered by yanks. there will be no kurdistan. only political games, and kurds will be always in ubsure situation. and the chronic stress kill them. :)
Political solution? The Russians already negotiated one between them: return Afrin to Syrian Government control now and your security (and that of the civilians on whatever side) would be guaranteed. Russia didn’t give specifics, but one could assume that they were not referring to a ‘guarantee’ by troops from the overstretched SAA. Russia suggested the Afrin Kurds could talk about autonomy or whatever in the future.
Afrin is surrounded by enemies and has no obvious means of resupply. There is no way any organization could, in good conscience, walk away from that offer. Not all Syrians in Afrin are Kurds, and not all Kurds in Afrin blindly support the PYD or PKK, yet the Afrin PYD rejected the Russian/Syrian offer. That was utter lunacy. I really don’t think the Afrin Kurds will be wiped out by the Turks – the Turks never seem to be having much success against the PKK inside Turkey. I can imagine a long, drawn out conflict that will continue to punish any remaining Afrin civilians for years or drive them out somewhere else as refugees. The PYD doesn’t care – it’s willing to sacrifice anything and anybody for its ideology. Kind of like the Wahhabis.
They also requested the return of Deir ez Zoir oil nd gas fields, please don’t believe the overstretched as they are everywhere. They give their troops time to recuperate rearm and resupply and leave time , some areas are not good for combat due to weather. Right now they are sending more troops to help with the ISIS pocket, need priority actions at times, but weather plays a part. PYD are Apoists and have federalism but not anything like the Swiss it’s all based on ethnic control for Kurds in all regions.
Turkey is a US/Nato vassal state. Israel wants the destruction of Syria, and for the US, it will serve Israel’s interests first.
To those doubting the Turkish advance, the SDF (PKK) is spoon feeding you with ISIS level propaganda. I urge anyone who wants to find out the truth to turn to various sources on:
https://syria.liveuamap.com/
I hope the FSA completely annihilates the PKK terrorist, I haven’t forgotten about the systematic ethnic cleansing these PKK terrorists have inflicted upon the native arabs.
The sistematic ethnich cleasing. I am completely against the Alliance between YPG kurds and the United State, but you mustnt say this, because kurd people who live in Turquia, have been dominated and controled by the turkish governmet, which has attacked all his culture, traditions, language and autonmy. And for the other site, you must now that PKK have done a incredible fight against a regular army of turkia, onl to defend their people and culture for the centra government. And othe things, PKK has had always a marxist ideology, and Sirian governmet supply them until 1997
What did the kurds do to greeks and armenians who used to live in turkey long time ago? What did the kurds do?
Every school kid knows a test to differentiate Acids and Alkaline. It called Litmus Test. The post WWII world discovered that the political equivalent to Litmus test is to see weather the USA is in support of, or, hostile to any political event or movement. Which movement is a National Liberation Movement and which one is a tool to implement the imperialistic US strategy. Tell me how the USA reacted to event in Iran,1952, 79, Palestine 1948,56,67, Cuba, 63,Chile,73, Pakistan 74, Venezuela,2007, Angola 92, Nigeria 2001, Sudan 2008 and on and on … and now PYG and FSA . If you tell me the US position I will be able to classify the PYG FSA and any others.
I frequent Syria.livemap and they have always been major supports of FSA/ISIS. They still show ISIS in control of areas surround sinjar, which has been proven false. Take it with a grain of salt….
Casualty news is always extremely exaggerated, (I know this from a veteran friend who fought an ambush which he read on the newspapers later) so none is worth taking forgranted. I just look at the advances on territories.
do have kurds altogether 203 bullets?
The YPG will be crushed by Turkey which given the size of the Turkish military this is a foregone conclusion. Once smashed by Turkey the YPG will be on its knees and will have to negotiate form a position of military weakness. The SAA can then destroy the Idlip pocket and clean up this nest of ISIS vipers.
Whatever the casualty figures are. No matter what is the identity of the victims. Apart from the innocent civilians who are under air and land bombardments, I do not have any sympathy with either side. By any legal standard, Turkish Army is an invading force whose “Subcontractor”, the TSFA are, (at the best), gangs of hired guns mercenaries. As for YPG,PYD, PKK and all their derivatives, its excludes the c
Kurds PLEEAASE stop lying!!!!
don take them their only joy
Whatever the casualty figures are. No matter what is the identity of the victims. Apart from the innocent civilians who are under air and land bombardments, I do not have any sympathy with either side. By any legal standard, Turkish Army is an invading force whose “Subcontractor”, the TSFA are, (at the best), gangs of hired guns mercenaries. As for YPG,PYD, PKK and all their derivatives, they have to blame their leadership’s political stupidity. Their cardinal mistake is to alien themselves with the most unreliable. deceitful and immoral ally, i.e. the USA. They regarded Trump as born-again Trotskite !! They thought Trup will swap Turkey, a Nato member and practically the best friend of Israel with the promised land of their Fifth International. With a gold-fish memory they forgot how the USA humiliated the fellow Iraqi Kurds. They even started to harass the SAA. Let us hallucinate and believe that Comrade Trump do not regard Kurd/Arab/Persian as part of “Shit-hole” atlas, How they are going to face brave, battle-hardened and 1000000000% patriotic loyal SAA ?. Yes, No one of these traitors have my sympathy … but I am longing to see the involvement of US soldier in the battle …. I am longing to see American bloody noses and body bags with bald eagle mark.
Well you say that, but the latest is “Syrian Army to halt military operations in Idlib once Abu Dhuhour Airport is secured” – allegedly.
I am Croat and proud of my ancestors for defeating Ottoman rubbish centuries ago. Even the great Suleiman died here. Our hearts are with the noble Kurds.
Turkey does a great job. The kurds are terrorist nation. Wondering why cant they live like a human. They should watch the Catalans to learn how to live like a human. They supported ISIS with US. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/raqqas_dirty_secret They terrorise even th Christians http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/01/20/first-hand-account-kurdish-ypg-forces-routinely-terrorize-assyrian-christians-in-syria/
and thas their real face, https://www.globalresearch.ca/kurdish-pkk-and-ypgs-hidden-notorious-crimes-kidnapping-murder-and-narcotics-trafficking/5610540 I dont think they can stand against Turkish army. I believe this is a lie.
What a bullshit. Turkish army wiping them out. Cowards surrenders or dies. Everyone can find an ID card, so what ??? http://www.gazetevatan.com/afrin-de-yakalanan-teroristlerin-akibeti-belli-oldu-1137184-gundem/ This is only the one newpapers. There are many of them. Stop bullshit southfront.