Turkey sent special forces to the Afrin region of northwestern Syria on Monday for what it calls a "new battle" against the Kurdish YPG militia. Ankara claims the UN Security Council demand for a ceasefire does not apply to its military operations in Afrin. Turkey began its assault on January 20th. It is pushing Kurdish fighters back from the border, though most of the larger towns in the area, including the town of Afrin itself, still remain under Kurdish control.