Turkey starts ground offensive in N Syria

ANKARA. KAZINFORM Turkey launched a ground offensive Wednesday as part of Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria, according to the Defense Ministry, Anadolu Agency reports.

Turkey launched 'Peace Spring' Operation east of the Euphrates River earlier in the day to secure its borders by eliminating terror elements and to ensure the safe return of Syrian refugees and Syria’s territorial integrity.

Turkish troops along with the Syrian National Army began the military operation at 4 p.m. local time (1300GMT) against Daesh and PKK/KCK/PYD-YPG terrorists under the instructions of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Turkey has a 911-kilometer (566-mile) border with Syria and has long decried the threat from terrorists east of the Euphrates and the formation of a «terrorist corridor» there.

Turkey plans to resettle 2 million Syrians in a 30-kilometer (19-mile) wide safe zone to be set up in Syria stretching from the Euphrates River to the Iraqi border, including Manbij. However, the presence of terror groups such as the PKK, PYD and YPG risk its formation.