Civilians in Afrin expose PYD/PKK’s smear campaign

AFRIN / ISTANBUL

The civilians in northwestern Syria on Saturday exposed the smear campaign launched by the PYD/PKK terrorist group.

Recently, the terrorist group, as part of their smear campaign against Turkey, claimed a hospital in Afrin region was hit by the Turkish army.

The Turkish military released footage of an undamaged building of the hospital on Saturday, refuting the smear campaign by the terrorists.

The one-minute video, which was shot at 9.43 a.m. local time (0643GMT) on Saturday, shows the hospital building is in good shape.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, the civilians, who managed to reach the regions liberated from the terrorists, exposed the lies of PYD/PKK and said the terrorists were using civilians as human shields.

Ahmed Abdo, who left the city center together with his family on Saturday, said the terrorists continued to open fire on civilians who were trying to flee Afrin.

“We already left yesterday [Friday] but they [terrorists] stopped everyone at the checkpoint, it was crowded, they do not allow anyone to leave,” he said.

Abdo said that the terrorists did not hesitate to attack and kill civilians. “They [terrorists] fired two rockets into the crowd. A large number of civilians died or got injured.”

Abdo said that the PYD/PKK was also burning down hospitals.

Dead bodies on streets

Anise Hammoud, another civilian who also managed to flee the city center, said: “Why we left Afrin? They [terrorists] were firing at us, broke the windows and if my husband had left the house they [terrorists] would have killed him,” she said.

“They [terrorists] placed mines on the streets, hospitals, schools, everywhere. ‘Either you stay in your houses or you die,’ they [terrorists] say,” she added.

Hammoud said that the dead bodies and wounded people were lying on the streets.

“If the streets were open, you would not even find one person left in Afrin. Everyone would have left,” she said.

Turkish drones captured footage of YPG/PKK terrorists setting vehicles and buildings ablaze at various locations in Afrin.

On Jan. 20, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to clear YPG/PKK-Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkey’s borders and the region as well as to 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 also said only terror targets are being destroyed and that "utmost care" is being taken to avoid harming civilians.