Heavy Fighting Reported Between Turkish-Backed Troops and Kurds in Afrin Region

The Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army claimed advances in the Kurdish-held Afrin region on January 23, according to a Twitter account linked to the operation.On the same day, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said thousands of people were fleeing Afrin in the face of fighting and Turkish shelling.Kurdish forces reportedly carried out a counter-offensive, attempting to retake three villages captured by the Free Syrian Army, the observatory added.Two Turkish soldiers were reportedly killed during the fighting against the YPG, Turkish state media said.This video was posted by a Kurdish outlet and is described showing clashes in Hemam town in west Afrin. Credit: ANHA via Storyful