ANKARA – *Ankara says 41 of its soldiers have been killed in Syria’snorthwestern region of Afrin, where the Turkish military has been engagedin a ground operation against US-backed Kurdish militants for more than amonth.*

Turkish Defense Minister Nurettin Canikli made the announcement in a speechdelivered at Istanbul National Defense University on Friday, adding that 95villages or hamlets had come under their control during the so-calledOperation Olive Branch.

Canikli further said that 116 members of the so-called Free Syrian Army(FSA) militant group, which has joined Turkish troops in their campaignagainst members of the Kurdish People’s Defense Units (YPG).

Turkey’s state-run Anatolia news agency quoted Canikli as saying that 2,295militants of Kurdish factions and Daesh terrorists had been “neutralized”in the offensive, which was launched on January 19.

The Turkish government has said the recent United Nations Security Councilresolution on a month-long ceasefire in Syria will have no effect on itscross-border operations.

Ankara views the YPG as a terror organization and the Syrian branch of theKurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).

Ties between Ankara and Washington has further soured over the latter’ssupport for the Kurdish militants operating at Turkish doorstep.

Turkey launched Operation Olive Branch, its second military intervention inSyia since 2011, after Washington said it would set up a border forcecomprising 30,000 Kurdish militants near Turkish soil.

Turkey has warned that the Afrin offensive could expand to the nearbySyrian city of Manbij.

Syria has slammed both Turkish and US military activities on its soil as aviolation of the Arab nation’s sovereignty.