Combined forces of the Turkish Army and allied Free Syrian Army militias have driven Kurdish fighters from another two towns in Syria’s northwestern Afrin region, Al-Masdar News reports.

On Friday, February 14, pro-Ankara forces maintained pressure on Kurdish paras in Afrin, striking in the region’s west and scoring a small advance that has so far led to the capture of Hassan Kalkawi and Jalma – two co-joining villages.

At present, Kurdish forces in Afrin appear to be conducting a fighting withdrawal into the mountainous depth of the region where they will be better placed to make a more effective stand in the face of increasing strikes by Turkey airpower and heavy artillery.

Airstrikes and mass shelling by Turkish forces are taking a heavy toll on Kurdish paramilitary ranks with at least 400 Kurdish fighters having been killed (according to a recently released photo-report) since Ankara commenced its ‘Olive Branch’ operation in Afrin just over weeks ago.