March 19, 2018 - 10:36 AMT
FSA filmed hanging Turkish flag over Afrin legislative council building

Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army forces celebrated the capture of Afrin by hanging the Turkish flag over the city's legislative council building on Sunday, March 18, after declaring full control over the city following an eight-week offensive to drive out the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG), Al-Masdar News reports.

Fighters waved flags and tore down the statue of a legendary Kurdish figure after claiming the city centre on Sunday.

The two-month Turkish-led operation aimed to rid the border region of a Kurdish militia that Turkey considers a terrorist group.

According to local media, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said earlier in the day that the center of Syria’s Afrin is “entirely under the control” of the Turkish Armed Forces and Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters, inside Turkey’s Operation Olive Branch.