Turkey has started preparations to clear northern Syria’s Ayn al-Arab, Ras al-Ain and Tel Abyad regions from militants up to the Iraqi border, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, adding that it would also clear militants from Iraq.
Erdogan said Turkey has no intention of harming soldiers of allied nations positioned in the region, but that it could not allow militants to roam free, Reuters reported.
He added that a total of 3800 terrorists have been killed since the start of the Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin region.
The Operation Olive Branch was launched on January 20 to clear terrorist groups from Afrin in northwestern Syria amid growing threats from the region.
