In the opposition-held town of Syria’s Azaz, the 6500-strong Hamza Brigade of the Free Syrian Army is conducting war exercises and target practices for a possible Turkish-led operation against Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) terrorists in the east of the Euphrates River.
FSA Commander Seyf Abu Bakr evaluated the situation and said, “We are preparing for the east of the Euphrates with all our might. As the Free Syrian Army, our goal is to free our citizens east of the Euphrates from terror.”
Stating that the PKK/YPG terror group persecutes locals and loots their homes in the areas that it occupies, Abu Bakr said: “We will politically and militarily purge those areas too with Turkey’s support.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has signaled an impending operation against YPG terrorists east of the river, delivering last month what he said was his "final warning" to those he said endangered Turkey's southern border with Syria.
Turkish troops -- backed by the FSA -- liberated large swathes of northwestern Syria from terrorist groups during the Operation Euphrates Shield in 2016, while the Operation Olive Branch dealt a heavy blow to YPG/PKK and Daesh terrorists liberating Syria's Afrin region in early 2018.
In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the death of some 40,000 people, including women and children. The YPG is its Syrian branch.
