1 dead, 3 injured in PYD/PKK attacks in Turkey's south

By Erdal Turkoglu, Burak Milli, Ibrahim Toprak

HATAY, Turkey (AA) – One person died and two others were injured on Monday in a cross-border attack by a PYD/PKK terror group in southern Turkey as Turkish army’s operation in Syria’s northwestern town of Afrin continues.

According to a security source, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, PYD/PKK terrorists in Syria’s northwestern town of Afrin targeted the southern Hatay province with a mortar shell, killing one person and injuring two.

The mortar hit the Kaletepe neighborhood of the Kirikhan district.

The injured were taken to a hospital.

Separately, a Turkish soldier was slightly injured in the border district of Ceylanpinar of the southeast province of Sanliurfa after being hit by a PYD/PKK terrorist group’s harassing fire opened from the terrorist-controlled al-Hasakah.

The soldier was taken to the Ceylanpinar State Hospital and he was in good condition, the same source said, adding that the Turkish troops deployed in the border region retaliated and hit terrorist targets in al-Hasakah’s Rasulayn district.

On Saturday, Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch to remove all PYD/PKK and Daesh terrorists from Afrin.

According to a statement by the Turkish General Staff, the operation aims to establish security and stability along Turkish borders and the region as well as to protect the Syrian people from the oppression and cruelty of terrorists.

“The operation is being carried out under the framework of Turkey’s rights based on international law, UN Security Council’s resolutions, self-defense rights under the UN charter and respect to Syria's territorial integrity,” the statement said.

The military also said "utmost care" was being shown not to harm any civilians.

Afrin has been a major hideout for the PYD/PKK since July 2012 when the Assad regime in Syria left the city to the terror group without putting up a fight.