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Turkish Forces Have Seized 'Designated Targets' in Northeastern Syria - Defence Ministry

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced the start of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, near the border with Turkey, against the Kurdistan Workers' Party, regarded as a terrorist organization by Turkey.
Sputnik

The Turkish Defence Ministry announced on Thursday that the country's forces have seized designated targets and the military operation is continuing successfully as planned.

"Operation Peace Spring was successfully carried out by air and land during the night. The targets set were destroyed. Operation continues successfully as planned," the ministry said.

The statement published on Twitter says that the operation continued throughout the night by land and air. 

At the same time, an official from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that heavy clashes continue in the Syrian villages that the Turkish forces are trying to enter.

The Syrian Kurdish-led authorities have also claimed that Turkey has shelled part of a prison in Qamishli that holds a large number of Daesh militants.

"These attacks on prisons holding Daesh (IS) terrorists will lead to a catastrophe the consequences of which the world may not be able to handle later on," the statement said.

According to the Defence Ministry, the military has carried out attacks on 181 targets in Syria's north. The Syrian state-run television claims that Turkey's shelling of Syria's border towns has left eight civilians killed and 20 others injured.

On 9 October, Turkey launched a military operation in Northern Syria against Kurdistan Worker’s Party (PKK), which Ankara considers to be a terrorist organisation, and its armed wing: the People’s Protection Units (YPG). Ankara claims that the offensive is aimed at clearing the border area of terrorists and creating a security zone.

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