The Turkish Defense Ministry announced Thursday the death of a Turkish soldier during clashes with members of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in Afrin, northern Syria, which is controlled by Turkey and Syrian factions loyal to it.
In a brief statement on Twitter, the ministry said that clashes between its forces and members of the YPG took place during an infiltration attempt by the Kurdish units, adding that Turkish forces responded to the attack and neutralized six of them.
Turkey took control over the Kurdish-majority Afrin region since its military operation in the region in 2018 called "Olive Branch", with the support of the Syrian factions loyal to it against the YPG forces.
Also, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that a Turkish officer and 3 soldiers were wounded in an infiltration operation by Kurdish forces on the Basufan and Kafr Khasher frontlines in the northern countryside of Aleppo in the early hours of Thursday morning.
The clashes coincided with intensive Turkish rocket attacks on the conflict zones and other positions in the Kurdish-controlled villages of Mar’naz, Baylouniyyah, Burj Al-Qas, and Masiyyah.
The war -monitor said Kurdish forces responded to the Turkish rocket fire by shelling the Turkish base in Kimar in rural Afrin.
This came as Turkish forces carried out a new patrol on Aleppo-Latakia international highway (M4) as well another joint patrol with the Russian military police in areas to the west of Ain Al-Arab city (Kobani).
The patrol which comprises four Russian vehicles and four other Turkish ones has set off from Ashmeh village in western Kobani and was supposed to tour the villages and border areas.
The new patrol marks the 35th patrol carried out by Moscow and Ankara since the agreement was signed between the two sides at the end of last year, following Operation Peace Spring, and the control of the Syrian factions and the Turkish army over the towns of Tal Abyad in the northern countryside of Raqqa and Ras al-Ain in Hasaka.
Meanwhile, Russian officials and officers from the government forces loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad met with leaders of the Syrian Democratic Forces at the Russian base in Ain Issa to discuss field developments and the recent Turkish offensive, as well as the construction of a Turkish military base near the international highway (M4).
