The Turkish defense minister has announced the beginning of a military offensive against the Syrian Kurdish held enclave of Afrin. The YPG, a Kurdish militia that has received US support, vowed to defend its territories.
Turkey-backed Free Syrian Forces have joined in the fight to oust Kurdish forces from AfrinImage: picture alliance/dpa/abaca/O. Coban
"All terror networks and elements in northern Syria will be eliminated. There is no other way," Canikli told Turkish television. "The operation in central Afrin may last a long time, but the terrorist organization will swiftly come undone there."
The YPG has held Afrin since 2012 when Syrian government forces withdrew and essentially handed over large swaths of the northern part of the country to the Syrian Kurds.
In the run-up to the offensive, Turkey transported heavy artillery and tanks near the Syrian borderImage: picture alliance/dpa/Zumapress/AA
YPG vows resistance
Turkish troops on Friday launched artillery fire towards Kurdish-held positions in Afrin, continuing barrages that have hit the region all week.
Canikli said that soldiers had not been deployed to Syria, but were instead firing at Kurdish forces from across the border.
However, Turkish media reported that 20 buses carrying Turkish-backed rebels from had crossed into Syria.
The YPG's spokesman in Afrin, Rojhat Roj, said Turkey's bombardment represented its hardest-hitting offensive since Erdogan began threatening the Kurdish-held area.
"Currently there are no casualties, all the damage is material so far," Roj said. However, the YPG spokesman warned that Kurdish forces would not back down from defending their territories.
The SDF controls about 25 percent of Syrian territory in the north and northeast. However, Afrin is noncontiguous to these territories and largely surrounded by Turkey and Turkish-backed rebels.
Earlier this month, the US announced plans to create a 30,000-strong stabilization force on the Syrian-Turkish border, including many Kurdish fighters. Washington said the force aimed to prevent a resurgence of IS in Syria.
"The threat of Daesh has been removed in both Syria and Iraq. With this reality out in the open, a 'focus on Daesh' statement is truly a meaningless remark," said Canikli, referring to the militant group by its Arabic acronym.
Who's fighting in the Syria conflict?
Syria's civil war erupted out of the Arab Spring protests that swept much of the Middle East and North Africa in 2011. The conflict has since drawn in multiple warring factions from around the world.
Image: Atta Kenare/AFP/Getty Images
War with no end
Syria has been engulfed in a devastating civil war since 2011 after Syrian President Bashar Assad lost control over large parts of the country to multiple revolutionary groups. The conflict has since drawn in foreign powers and brought misery and death to Syrians.
Image: picture alliance/abaca/A. Al-Bushy
The dictator
Syria's army, officially known as the Syrian Arab Army (SAA), is loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and is fighting to restore the president's rule over the entire country. The SAA has been fighting alongside a number of pro-Assad militias such as the National Defense Force and has cooperated with military advisors from Russia and Iran, which back Assad.
Turkey, which is also part of the US-led coalition against IS, has actively supported rebels opposed to Assad. It has a tense relationship with its American allies over US cooperation with Kurdish fighters, who Ankara says are linked to the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) fighting in Turkey. Turkey has launched multiple military offensives targeting Kurdish militias.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/L. Pitarakis
The eastern guardian
The Kremlin has proven to be a powerful friend to Assad. Russian air power and ground troops officially joined the fight in September 2015 after years of supplying the Syrian army. Moscow has come under fire from the international community for the high number of civilian casualties during its airstrikes. However, Russia's intervention turned the tide in war in favor of Assad.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/Tass/M. Metzel
The western allies
A US-led coalition of more than 50 countries, including Germany, began targeting IS and other terrorist targets with airstrikes in late 2014. The anti-IS coalition has dealt major setbacks to the militant group. The US has more than a thousand special forces in the country backing the Syrian Democratic Forces.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/A.Brandon
The rebels
The Free Syrian Army grew out of protests against the Assad regime that eventually turned violent. Along with other non-jihadist rebel groups, it seeks the ouster of President Assad and democratic elections. After suffering a number of defeats, many of its members defected to hardline militant groups. It garnered some support from the US and Turkey, but its strength has been greatly diminished.
Image: Reuters
The resistance
Fighting between Syrian Kurds and Islamists has become its own conflict. The US-led coalition against the "Islamic State" has backed the Syrian Democratic Forces, an alliance of Kurdish and Arab militias. The Kurdish YPG militia is the main component of the SDF. The Kurds have had a tacit understanding with Assad.
Image: Getty Images/A. Sik
The new jihadists
"Islamic State" (IS) took advantage of regional chaos to capture vast swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014. Seeking to establish its own "caliphate," IS has become infamous for its fundamentalist brand of Islam and its mass atrocities. IS is on the brink of defeat after the US and Russia led separate military campaigns against the militant group.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo
The old jihadists
IS is not the only terrorist group that has ravaged Syria. A number of jihadist militant groups are fighting in the conflict, warring against various rebel factions and the Assad regime. One of the main jihadist factions is Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, which controls most of Idlib province and has ties with al-Qaeda.
Image: picture-alliance/AP Photo/Nusra Front on Twitter
The Persian shadow
Iran has supported Syria, its only Arab ally, for decades. Eager to maintain its ally, Tehran has provided Damascus with strategic assistance, military training and ground troops when the conflict emerged in 2011. The Iran-backed Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah also supports the Assad regime, fighting alongside Iranian forces and paramilitary groups in the country.