The Turkish military has been continuing to clear landmines, and improvised explosive devices (IED) in the northwestern Syrian district of Afrin after Turkish forces and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) took control of the enclave on March 18 as part of “Operation Olive Branch.”
A total of 95 mines and handmade explosives have been destroyed since Afrin was liberated from the YPG/PKK terrorist group on March 18, the General Staff said in a statement. The Turkish Army is providing the means for civilians to return to their homes safely, the statement added.
During their search operations, the police special operations teams and commando units, known as the Blue Berets, found a number of explosives, including 27 improvised pipe bombs, five TM-57 anti-tank mines, 12 units of 60mm mortars, one 120mm mortar, 12 plastic IEDs, 200 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, one anti-personnel mine, 10 units of metal IEDs and 24 MB62 anti-tank mine fuses in two houses and a car in the Alemdar village of Afrin
