ALEPPO, Syria / ISTANBUL 

The YPG, the Syrian branch of PKK terror group, is digging trenches in residential areas to hide weapons in Tal Rifat in northern Syria.

An Anadolu Agency aerial footage showed YPG/PKK terrorists digging tunnels and trenches in the villages around Tal Rifat, including Sheikh Issa, Menagh, Al-Alqamiyeh, Ayn Daqnah, Kashtaar and Tatmarash.

YPG/PKK terrorists were also seen hiding military tanks and other types of weapons inside civilian homes in the area.

Over the past years, the terrorist group managed to dig a network of tunnels in Tal Rifat and surrounding villages, which YPG/PKK terrorists occupied in February 2016 and forced tens of thousands to leave their homes and areas.

The YPG/PKK terror group uses Tal Rifat and surrounding villages to launch attacks against areas cleared from terrorists by Türkiye.

On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country is set to clear two areas of northern Syria, near the Turkish border, of terrorist elements in a bid to eliminate the terror threat from the region.

"We are entering a new phase of our decision to establish safe zone 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) deep south (of the Turkish-Syrian border). We are clearing Tal Rifat and Manbij of terrorists," Erdogan told a group meeting of his Justice and Development (AK) Party in the capital Ankara.

* Writing by Ahmed Asmar