MOSCOW, January 21. /TASS/. Syrian authorities believe that Turkey’s military operation in Afrin is geared towards supporting terrorism, SANA news agency quoted President Bashar Assad as saying on Sunday.

"Turkey’s aggression in the Syrian city of Afrin cannot be separated from the policy pursued by the Turkish regime since the outbreak of the Syrian crisis and built on support for terrorism and various terrorist groups," he said.

On Saturday, Turkey’s General Staff announced the beginning of the Olive Branch operation against Kurdish units near Afrin, where about 1.5 million Syrian Kurds live.
 
Recent reports say that the Turkish Air Force struck 153 targets in Afrin. According to Sky News Arabia, six civilians and three military were killed in the airstrikes. On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim confirmed that Turkey’s army launched a ground operation in Syria. By now, Turkish troops have taken an area of five kilometers.