Turkish military, FSA discover huge underground militant base in Syria's Afrin
ANKARA
A huge underground base used by militants has been found in Syria’s Afrin region, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on April 15.
The base could host around 1,000 people and was discovered when the Turkish military and Free Syrian Army (FSA) were clearing the area.
Located 10 meters deep underground, the quarters are situated in a forest area located in the mountains surrounding Afrin.
The base had been built using special heavy equipment and could barely be detected by drones due to a cover of trees.
The quarters have around 100-meter to 120-meter-long corridors.
At the end of the corridors, there are dozens of conference halls, rooms, bathrooms, toilets and emergency exits, according to the news service.
On Jan. 20, Turkey launched “Operation Olive Branch” to clear People’s Protection Units (YPG) militants from Afrin in northwestern Syria. On March 18, the Turkish Armed Forces and the FSA declared full control over the city.
