In Pictures

In Pictures: Turkey’s military operation in northeast Syria

Ankara has said it will target ISIL and Kurdish fighters near its border and wants to create a ‘safe zone’ inside Syria.

Smoke rises from Ras al-Ain city in Syria as tyres are reportedly being burned to block Turkish military unmanned aerial vehicles from photographing the area as Turkish troops begin Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. [Kerem Kocalar/Anadolu]

9 Oct 2019

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced on Wednesday the launch of “Operation Peace Spring” in northeastern Syria, saying it would target the ISIL group and the Syria-based Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey considers to be linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

According to the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are led by the YPG, there were initial reports of civilian casualties after Turkish jets started bombing SDF military positions and villages in Tal Abyad, Ras al-Ain, Qamishli and Ain Issa.

Ankara wants to create a so-called “safe zone” stretching 32km (20 miles) into bordering Syria’s northeastern region.

This is Turkey‘s third offensive in three years targeting Syrian-Kurdish militias, after Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016 and Operation Olive Branch in 2018.

Local residents cheer and applaud as a convoy of Turkish forces vehicles is driven through the town of Akcakale, Sanliurfa province, southeastern Turkey, at the border between Turkey and Syria, shortly after the Turkish operation inside Syria started. [Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Photo]

Turkish army tanks fire artillery shells as Turkish troops begin Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. [Handout/Turkish National Defence MInistry/Anadolu]

Smoke rises from Ras al-Ain city as Turkish troops along begin the long-threatened military operation in northeast Syria. [Kerem Kocalar/Anadolu]

Turkey has launched the military operation to remove Kurdish-led forces from the border area and create a 'safe zone' to resettle Syrian refugees. [Delil Souleiman/AFP]

Turkey sent a diplomatic note to Syria's consulate in Istanbul to inform Damascus about its cross-border operation. [Kerem Kocalar/Anadolu]

Turkish army vehicles drive towards the Syrian border near Akcakale in Sanliurfa province. [Bulent Kilic/AFP]

A Turkish army tank drives towards the border with Syria the night before the military operation started. [Bulent Kilic/AFP]

Turkey's rebel allies in northern Syria prepare to dispatch to the Manbij front line ahead of Turkey's planned operation. [Bekir Kasim/Anadolu]