Under cover of air .. Turkish forces continue to penetrate northern Syria, killing hundreds of Kurdish units

Turkish forces launched intensive air raids and sent reinforcements to areas in northeastern Syria, and penetrated deep into eight kilometers inside Syria, confirming the killing of hundreds of fighters in the ranks of Kurdish militias in exchange for the death of a Turkish soldier.

Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that Turkish planes carried out intensive air raids on areas in northeastern Syria, and on the city of Tal Abyad in the northern countryside of Raqqa. Turkish artillery also continues to bomb several sites this morning.

Al Jazeera correspondent added that military trucks and reinforcements arrived from the Turkish border to the outskirts of Tal Abyad, as the Syrian National Army (opposition) mobilized its forces in the area.

The correspondent pointed to the continued incursion of the Turkish army and the Syrian National Army in the direction of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad in preparation for their storming, where artillery began heavy shelling on positions in Tel Abyad.

Turkish and Syrian opposition forces reached a depth of eight kilometers inside Syria, and took control of 15 villages in the vicinity of Tal Abyad and Ras al-Ain and a checkpoint for the Syrian Democratic Forces at the eastern entrance of Ras al-Ain.

Al-Jazeera correspondent said that the city of Tel Abyad is experiencing a blackout of electricity and communications for the third day in a row, in addition to the displacement of large numbers of its residents to rural areas near the city.

Sources of the island said that Turkish forces established a military base between the cities of Seluk and Tal Abyad on the border and cut off the road between them.

Syrian Democratic Forces launched overnight attacks on opposition positions unchanged in the control areas. They also shelled Marea and the outskirts of Afrin city in Aleppo countryside.

For his part, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the aim of the first phase of the operation "spring of peace" is to penetrate a depth of thirty kilometers inside Syrian territory.

For its part, the Turkish Ministry of Defense on Friday morning killed one of its soldiers and wounding three in the clashes, and confirmed that the number of deaths in the ranks of the Kurdish People's Protection Units reached 277 since the beginning of the operation "spring of peace" Wednesday, including 49 people killed last night, while he said Al Jazeera reporter said that six opposition fighters were also killed.

The Turkish Defense Ministry statement comes after a mutual artillery shelling between Kurdish factions and the Turkish army in northern Syria.

Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that six civilians were killed and dozens injured by shelling from Syrian territory on the Turkish border towns in the provinces of ليanlıurfa and Mardin, also said the "Syrian Democratic Forces" controlled by Kurdish units that the Turkish bombing killed nine civilians.