Turkey neutralises over 4,600 militants in Syria's Afrin

Turkey has neutralized more than 4,600 militant during Operation Olive Branch in Syria's Afrin region, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.

Erdogan made the remarks during a joint live broadcast by private TV local channels in Istanbul on the upcoming June 24 presidential and parliamentary elections.

He vowed that Turkey would continue its counterterrorism efforts until every militant is killed.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch on January 20 to clear northwestern Syria's Afrin region from the YPG/PKK and ISIS groups.

On March 18, Turkish-backed troops liberated the town centre of Afrin, which had been a major hideout for the YPG/PKK group since 2012.

Earlier in the day, Erdogan announced that Turkish forces had launched an operation in Mt. Qandil, an area in northern Iraq used by the PKK group as its main base. (QNA)