Syria Alert: Turkish Ground Invasion ! New phase in the war Turkish tanks roll into Syrian territory. Credits: Kazu Multi-frontier war Just when it looked like there have might be an opening for some dialogue between the warring parties to the Syrian conflict amidst uncertain calm, Erdogan has effectively opened a new front in the war by launching Operation Olive Branch. On 19th January, 2018, Turkish ground forces began a military operation in north-western Syria. This came as a direct response to the United States' announcement for a plan to set up a 'border security force' in a corridor ranging from Afrin to Manjib, and along Turkey's border with Syria. Now here's the tricky part- a large majority of these 'security personnel' are Kurdish fighters backed by the US, belonging to groups like the SDF and the YPG, groups deemed as terrorist organizations by the Turkish state, based on these groups' affiliations with Turkey's own dom