Seven Turkish troops killed in Syria Afrin operation

Seven Turkish soldiers were killed in northern Syria Saturday in the bloodiest day for Ankara's forces since an offensive was launched on Kurdish forces in Afrin last month.

Five Turkish troops were killed in one attack on a tank unit by Kurdish fighters from the People's Protection Units (YPG).

Another soldier was killed in a clash and another on the border area, Ankara said providing further details.

In retaliation, Turkish war planes carried out air strikes on YPG positions, Ankara said.

Ankara launched Operation Olive Branch against the YPG on 20 January, which it accuses of being linked to a Kurdish militia active in Turkey.

Saturday's killings brings Turkey's death toll in the operation to 14.

Turkey - backed by Syrian rebel forces - launched an offensive into Afrin, a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria.

Meanwhile seven civilians have been killed in mortar fire on the Turkish side of the border that Ankara.

Ankara claims 900 YPG fighters have been killed in the operation.

Ankara claims that Turkish and Syrian rebel troops are now in control of much of the mountainous area around Afrin.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the force will now head for the city itself. "There is not much to go," he said.

Some analysts have said Turkey only controls areas of territory around the border without yet approaching near Afrin town.

Turkey claims the YPG is an offshoot of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged a three-decade insurgency against Turkish troops leading to thousands of deaths.

The YPG works closely with Turkey's NATO ally the US and led the fighting against the Islamic State group in Syria.