Turkey strike Kurdish targets in Afrin

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An F-16 Fighting Falcon of the Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri) takes off on a sortie from Third Air Force Base Konya, Turkey during Exercise Anatolian Eagle. Royal Air Force Typhoons from XI Squadron, based at RAF Coningsby are taking part in Exercise Anatolian Eagle working alongside the Turkish Air Force at 3rd Air Force Base Konya, Turkey. The two week multi-national complex air exercise provided the opportunity for the RAF to train jointly with the Turkish Air Force aiming to increase interoperability in the event of contingency operations. Also taking part in the exercise are Jordanian, Omani, Qatari and Spanish Air Forces.
The Turkish Air Force began air strikes against the positions of the Kurdish YPG positions in Syrian Afrin, Daily Sabah reports.

Earlier on Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the Turkish army actually launched a ground operation in Syrian Afrin.

Last Wednesday, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Bekir Bozdag stated that Ankara was holding consultations with Moscow and Washington over a possible operation in Syrian Afrin against the armed formations of the Syrian Kurds YPG, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization associated with the banned Kurdistan Workers Party in the country.

According to media reports, Turkey led its troops on the border with Syria in a state of increased combat readiness and in recent days repeatedly fired on YPG positions in the border area.

Turkish artillery forces stationed at the border between Turkey’s southern provinces of Kalis and Hatay began Saturday bombing the positions of Turkish units in the city, Anadolu agency said.