Turkish Troops Lay Siege on Key Kurdish-Held Region in Northern Syria

The sources said that the army men and allied militants stormed the Kurds again and captured the villages of Maskanli, Mamli, Atmanli and Mosaco, laying siege on the Kurdish militants in Rajou region from the three Northern, Western and Southern directions.

In a relevant development on Friday the Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army militias snatched three more villages from Kurdish forces within the framework of Operation Olive Branch in Syria’s Afrin region.

The Turkey-led forces renewed their assault towards the Kurdish-held fortress town of Raju Northwest of Afrin, taking control of Maskanli, Utmanli and the duel-settlement of Mamali.

The new push brought the Olive Branch forces to areas just one or two kilometers away from Raju via the Northwestern direction.

The advance to Raju’s gates by Ankara-backed militants comes amid reports that the Turkish Army deployed elite troops near the Kurdish stronghold.

The elite Turkish Army soldiers in question were specialist light infantry – reportedly equipped for and trained in urban warfare.