Turkish jets hammer Syrian town to oust US-backed Kurdish militia

(CNN)Turkish jets pounded Kurdish militia targets Saturday in the Syrian town of Afrin in an attempt to oust the fighters, Turkey's state-run news reported.

The move is likely to sharpen tensions between Turkey and the United States, which supports and openly arms Kurdish militias fighting ISIS. A new operation targeting Kurdish fighters could open up a new frontier in the Syrian conflict, which has gone on for nearly seven years.
Turkey shells Kurds in Syria as full military offensive looms

Turkish jets hammer Syrian town to oust US-backed Kurdish militia
By Gul Tuysuz, Joe Sterling and Schams Elwazer, CNN

The move is likely to sharpen tensions between Turkey and the United States, which supports and openly arms Kurdish militias fighting ISIS. A new operation targeting Kurdish fighters could open up a new frontier in the Syrian conflict, which has gone on for nearly seven years.
Turkey shells Kurds in Syria as full military offensive looms
Turkey shells Kurds in Syria as full military offensive looms
Ankara has long fought Kurdish unrest in southeastern Turkey. It's determined to prevent the establishment of a Kurdish state across the border in Syria and has used military force in the past against Kurds and ISIS in the northern part of the neighboring country.
Afrin is under the control of the People's Protection Units -- the largely Kurdish militia known as the YPG that Turkey regards as a terror group.
In Saturday's assault, explosions were heard as jets swooped over Afrin, and Turkish-backed rebels from the Free Syrian Army began entering the town, according to Anadolu Agency, Turkey's state-run outlet.
Residents and activists also reported airstrikes in the region. The Turkish armed forces said that 108 out of 113 targets had been hit and that all of the dead and wounded brought to hospitals are Kurdish militia members.
Turkish Foreign Affairs Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in a tweet that the operation isn't targeting civilians and "innocent Syrians" -- just terrorists.
Earlier Saturday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the military offensive is in its early phase. He said forces will next move on the Syrian town of Manbij farther east on the Turkish border.
"We know that without security in Syria, there cannot be security in Turkey," Erdogan told members of his ruling party in Kutahya.