Turkish troops will move at least 30 kilometers (19 miles) deep into northeastern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday
ANKARA (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 10th October, 2019) Turkish troops will move at least 30 kilometers (19 miles) deep into northeastern Syria, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Thursday.Turkey began on Wednesday its long-anticipated offensive against Syrian Kurdish forces stationed along the border. The stated goal is to clear a stretch of land where millions of refugees could go back to.
"During the first stage [of the operation] we will create a safe zone that is 120 kilometers long and will extend it to 400 kilometers. It will be some 30 kilometers wide - no less than that," he told NTV.
The ground operation was preceded by airstrikes on several Syrian cities. The Turkish Defense Ministry estimated that 181 strikes had been launched as of Thursday evening and 174 "terrorists," who are Kurdish fighters, were killed. Media have reported about first civilian casualties.
