Turkish jets pound Syrian town to oust US-backed Kurdish militiaBranch”

Turkey opened a new front in Syria’s nearly seven-year-old war on Saturday, launching airstrikes against a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia (YPG) in Afrin province that raise the prospect of a further strain on relations between Ankara and Washington.   

 The operation, dubbed “Operation Olive Branch” by Ankara, pits Turkey against Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when ties between Turkey and Washington  appear dangerously close to a breaking point.   Earlier Saturday, the Turkish military said it hit shelters and hideouts used by the YPG and other Kurdish fighters, saying Kurdish militants had fired on Turkish positions inside Turkey. But the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces -which YPG spearheads- accused Turkey of using cross-border shelling as a false pretext to launch its offensive in Syria.   

 The YPG’s growing strength across large parts of northern Syria has alarmed Ankara, which fears the creation of an independent Kurdish state on its southern border.   

The YPG said the strikes killed six civilians and three fighters. One of the fighters belonged to the YPG and two were from its all-female affiliate, YPG spokesman Birusk Hasaka said. The attacks also wounded 13 civilians, he said.   

 The strikes on the Syrian-Kurdish YPG militia hit some 108 targets, the Turkish military said. On land, the Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army rebels were also helping the operation in Afrin, a senior Turkish official said. - 
- REUTERS