Turkish Forces Planning to Occupy Key Military Airport in Northern Syria

TEHRAN (defapress)- The Turkish Army is reportedly planning to capture strategic Mennagh military airport in Northern Aleppo within the framework Operation Olive Branch against the Kurdish-led People’s Protection Units (YPG) in the region, well-informed sources said on Thursday.

News ID: 69442

Date: 29 March 2018 - 15:10

The sources said that Mennagh Military Airport has been under the control of the YPG since 2016, when they managed to expel the anti-Damascus militants from the facility.

They added that in addition to capturing the Mennagh Airport in 2016, the YPG was also able to expel the militants from the key town of Tal Rifa’at, which is another area that Turkey has shifted its attention to.

The sources further said that if the Turkish military and their rebel allies capture the Mennagh Airport, they will have access to their first airbase inside Aleppo province.

Furthermore, the Turkish military can use the Mennagh Airport to launch attacks against the YPG forces in Tal Rifa’at.

Military sources said on Monday that the Turkish army sent new military equipment to the borders with Syria after declaring plan to initiate assault on the town of Tal Rafa'at in Northern Aleppo after occupation of Afrin.

Military sources confirmed that a new convoy consisting of 25 trucks carrying tanks was sent from Erzurum province in Eastern Turkey to Adiyaman in the South near the borders with Syria.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had on Sunday spoken about the imminent military operations in Tal Rafa'at within the framework of Operation Olive Branch which started in January.