More than 340 YPG terrorists killed so far in Turkey's Afrin op, military says

At least 343 PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG and Daesh terrorists have been killed since the start of Turkey's Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria, the military said Friday.

Turkish Armed Forces carried out airstrikes on the shelters, positions, arms, and equipment of the terrorists during the night, according to a General Staff statement.

All 14 aircraft returned to their bases after hitting 25 terrorist targets, the statement added.

On Saturday, the Turkish military launched an operation on Afrin to clear its border of the PKK's Syrian affiliate Democratic Union Party (PYD) and its People's Protection Units (YPG) militia to prevent them from establishing an autonomous region, which Turkish officials call a "terror corridor," by connecting the northwestern Afrin canton to the Kobani and Jazeera cantons to the east.

According to the military, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as protect Syrians from terrorist oppression and cruelty.

The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey's rights based on international law, UN Security Council resolutions, its self-defense rights under the UN charter, and respect for Syria's territorial integrity, it said.

The military has also said that only terrorist targets are being destroyed and "utmost importance" is being put on not harming any civilians.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012, when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight