Turkish army hits YPG/PKK targets in Syria's Tal Rifat

By Omer Koparan and Adham Kako</p> <p><br></p> <p>AZAZ, Syria (AA) – The Turkish Armed Forces on Wednesday struck positions affiliated with the YPG/PKK terrorist group in Syria's northern city of Tal Rifat.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Howitzers deployed in the area-of-operations of Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield shelled YPG/PKK positions in Tal Rifat, located just east of Afrin.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Afrin has recently been the target of YPG/PKK terrorism. </p> <p><br></p> <p>On Sunday, the group targeted civilian parts of the city, leaving at least two people dead. And on Wednesday morning, a bomb-laden vehicle blew up in Afrin without causing casualties.</p> <p><br></p> <p>For the last three years, Tal Rifat has been occupied by the YPG/PKK, which has dubbed the territory between Tal Rifat and Manbij as the “Shahba Canton”.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The YPG/PKK occupied Tal Rifat in 2016 in hopes of linking Afrin to areas under its control east of the Euphrates River, thus establishing a zone of influence along Syria’s border with Turkey.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Syria’s Al-Bab district, however, which is located between Tal Rifat and Manbij, falls within Operation Euphrates Shield’s area-of-operations, thus disrupting the YPG/PKK’s sought-for territorial link.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Some 250,000 refugees from Tal Rifat and its outskirts have taken up temporary residence in the opposition-held city of Azaz, which is located adjacent to the Euphrates Shield zone.