The Turkish Armed Forces and Free Syrian Army (FSA) have captured the 90-kilometer route between Jarabulus and Azaz, cities in northern Syria, as part of the Euphrates Shield Operation. The Operation is now focusing on capturing Al Bab.
Tuesday marks the 140th day of the Operation, which has cleared a total of over 2,100 square kilometers of land of Daesh, the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD) and other terror groups.
A Turkish soldier shared gripping details of the Operation in the fight against terrorism.
“My name is Metin… Of course that's not my real name. I'm a sergeant in the special forces. I was previously stationed in the southeast, and in Iraq's north. I have engaged in hostile conflicts, and terror operations in the mountains. I was on the slopes of Hani, Lice and Dicle, and now I'm here, in Al Bab," recounted the soldier who wished to remain anonymous.
“A few hours after darkness fell, we were going to enter Wakah. We couldn't take much food, only water, guns and ammunition. Loads of ammunition. In these types of operations, we fight with whatever we have on us. We also need clothes that protect us from the cold. Our current name is the Fourth Special Task Force. We are a team of about 40. We walked the entire night on the evening of November 30 that turned into December 1. There were mines and booby traps everywhere."
“We had been there for exactly one week. At first, they didn't realize that we had entered. They tried to infiltrate and enter among us many times, but they did not succeed. We caused great casualties.“
“In the early hours of the morning I heard the sound of a motor. Alarm bells started ringing in my mind. I recoiled suddenly, as I believed that the sound belonged to a tank. I screamed and ran. I knew, this was a vehicle loaded with explosives. I only had one concern."
“I wanted to reach the commanders to warn them. I wanted to ensure they dispersed, but I was sure they were in a deep slumber due to exhaustion. A rocket exploded. One of the commanders on duty fired with an RPG at the tank."
“The RPG bounced off the tank. Within the next five, maybe 10-15 seconds, I reach the commanders. I continue running towards the building, screaming at the top of my lungs, saying “Explosive vehicle! Full shield! Full shield!" At the same time I'm screaming into my radio, “Fire! Fire! Stop that tank at all costs!"
“I can hear the tank more closely now. And then, I hear nothing at all. My body is thrust forward and for a moment, I cannot see anything. A giant fireball covers the sky, and then a black smoke blankets everything. I was flung into the air and slammed to the ground."
“My partner on the field, Kürşat, just stood there. A suicide bomber had exploded a hand grenade, and injured Kürşat by doing so."
Turkish soldiers from another military base made it just in time and were reinforcements, enabling the transportation of 13 wounded soldiers, including Kürşat.
The incident was reported after the area was cleared of terrorists. Three armored tanks loaded with bombs advanced on the Turkish forces. The 21 terrorists who launched the attack were all killed. The soldier code named Kürşat, whose real name was Selçuk Erdoğan, was martyred on January 6, 2017.
