Turkey says it is getting ready to launch a massive assault on US-backed Kurdish forces in Syria. Turkey has vowed to crush the Syrian Kurdish militia known as the People's Protection Units. Turkey's defense minister said the shelling was the "de-facto start" of a planned invasion of Afrin. The YPG said 70 shells were fired at targets in Afrin overnight. Civilians were forced to leave their homes and seek refuge in safer areas until the shelling stops.

Meanwhile a Syrian senior official said they will defend Afrin to the last moment. A convoy carrying around 1,000 Free Syrian Army rebels arrived in the southern border town of Hatay on Friday. CGTN's Michal Bardavid has more.