DAMASCUS: Damascus on Saturday denied Turkey had informed it of its plannedmilitary operation against Afrin, a Kurdish-controlled enclave in thewar-ravaged country´s north.

“Syria completely denies claims by the Turkish regime that it was informedof this military operation,” a foreign ministry source told state newsagency SANA.

The assault, the source said, “is the latest move in Turkey’s attacks onSyria’s sovereignty”.

“Syria strongly condemns the brutal Turkish aggression on Afrin, which isan inseparable part of Syrian territory.”

Turkey on Saturday launched a new air and ground operation aimed at oustingthe powerful Kurdish People´s Protection Units (YPG) from the Afrin region.

Ankara vehemently opposes the YPG because of its links to the KurdistanWorkers’ Party, which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey for threedecades.

In comments to media, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said hisgovernment was informing the Syrian government “in writing” about the Afrinassault.

Afrin is a YPG-controlled enclave that juts out from Syria’s Aleppoprovince and operates as an autonomous area, outside the control of Syria’sgovernment.

The regime has spoken out against the YPG’s autonomous rule but has alsolambasted Turkey’s operations in Syria.

On Thursday, Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad warned that Syria’s airforce could destroy any Turkish warplanes used in the new offensive.