Syria war: Turkey-backed forces oust Kurds from heart of Afrin

Turkish-backed forces have taken full control of the centre of the Syrian-Kurdish city of Afrin.
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.
Activists say 280 civilians have died, although this is denied by Ankara.
Earlier, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that "units of the Free Syrian Army... took control of the centre of Afrin this morning".
Turkish forces and Free Syrian army enter Afrin on 18 March 2018Image copyrightREUTERS
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Turkish forces and the Free Syrian Army entered Afrin on Sunday
Operations continued on Sunday to clear mines and remaining Kurdish resistance elsewhere in Afrin.
"Most of the terrorists have already fled with tails between their legs," the Turkish president said.
"In the centre of Afrin, symbols of trust and stability are waving instead of rags of terrorists."
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Pictures and video footage emerged of forces tearing down a Kurdish statue with a bulldozer.
The monument depicted the blacksmith Kawa, a legendary figure for Kurds.
Turkish-backed Syrian rebels gather next to the destroyed Kawa statue in the city of Afrin in northern Syria on March 18, 2018Image copyrightAFP
Image caption
Syrian rebels celebrated after the statue of Kawa was brought down in the centre of Afrin
A statement on a Whatsapp group for the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces called it the "first blatant violation of Kurdish people's culture and history since the takeover of Afrin".
A Turkish armed forces Twitter page posted a video of troops displaying the nation's flag in Afrin's centre.