Damascus – Thirty four Turkish troops and 177 pro-Turkey militants havebeen killed in Syria since the start of Turkey’s military operation ‘OliveBranch’ in Afrin region, according to an entity called Syrian Human RightsWatchdog affiliated to dissident group.

The pro-Turkey terrorists were killed during confrontations with SyrianKurds in Afrin region, it said.

Some 163 members of the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD) also losttheir lives over the same period.

On Wednesday, the so called Syrian Human Rights Watchdog reported that TheTurkish army and its accompanying terrorists have taken control of 24townships and villages since the start of the operation.

it said the areas taken from Syrian democratic forces constitute only sevenpercent of townships and villages in Afrin region located north of Aleppo.

On January 20, the Turkish army launched its illegal operation ‘OliveBranch’ in the northern Syrian region of Afrin.

According to Turkish media, 6,000 Turkish military men are participating inthe operation.

The Ankara government claims the aim of its aggressive operation is todestroy elements of Turkish Workers Party (PKK), Kurdish Democratic UnionParty (PYD) and People’s Protection Units (PYG). It accuses the militaryunit of PYG of cooperating with PKK.