Turkey Shells Syria’s Afrin Region, Minister Says Operation Has Begun

Turkey Shells Syria’s Afrin Region, Minister Says Operation Has Begun
A picture taken on June 9, 2017 shows workers building a wall in the countryside of Afrin, along Syria's northern border with Turkey. George Ourfalian/AFP/Getty Images
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SUGEDIGI, Turkey—Turkish artillery fired into Syria’s Afrin region on Friday in what Ankara said was the start of a military campaign against the Kurdish-controlled area.

The cross-border bombardment took place after days of threats from Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan to crush the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia in Afrin in response to growing Kurdish strength across a wide stretch of north Syria.