Order of battle for Operation Olive Branch

This is the order of battle for the Operation Olive Branch, a joint Turkish Armed Forces/Syrian National Army attack on the People's Protection Units-held Afrin Canton.[1][2]

Turkey and allied forces

Turkish soldiers on Mount Barsa

 Turkey

• Turkish Armed Forces
  • Land Forces
    • Second Army
      • 4th Corps (Turkey)
        • 1st Commando Brigade
      • 7th Corps (Turkey)
        • 3rd Commando Brigade (Turkey)[3]
  • Special forces[4]
  • Air Force
  • Gendarmerie General Command[5]
    • Gendarmerie Special Public Security Command
      • Gendarmerie Special Operations (JÖH)
      • Village guards[6]

A Turkish commando during the operation.

• Turkish Naval Forces[7]
  • SAS EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal)
  • SAT
• General Directorate of Security[8]
  • Police Special Operation Department (PÖH)

• National Intelligence Organization (MİT)[9][10]
  

Grey Wolves (claimed by SOHR)[11]

Syrian National Army fighters praying, 25 January 2018

Olive Branch Operations Room (Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army)

• Victory Bloc
  • Elite Army[4][12]
    • Elite Battalion (Azadî Battalion)[13][14][15]
  • Sham Legion[16] (part of the National Front for Liberation since May 2018)[17]
  • Army of Grandchildren[15]
  • Northern Brigade[18]
• First Legion
  • Samarkand Brigade[19][20]
  • Muntasir Billah Brigade[10]
  • Sultan Mehmed the Conquerer Brigade[10][20]
  • Conquest Brigade[18][21] (also part of the Levant Front)

Turkish-backed Syrian fighters with an armoured personnel carrier (ACV-15).

• Second Legion[22]
  • Sultan Murad Division[16]
    • Sultan Suleiman Shah Brigade[20][23]
  • Hamza Division[16]
    • Kurdish Falcons Brigade[24]
  • Al-Mu'tasim Brigade[16]
• Third Legion[25]
  • Levant Front[16]
    • Northern Storm Brigade[22]
    • Ahrar al-Sham[10][16] (also part of the Syrian Liberation Front)[26]
  • Northern Army[22]
  • Glory Corps[27]

Although their number is small, Kurdish groups who oppose the PYD have joined the Syrian National Army, such as the former Azadî Battalion.[14][13][28][29]

• Nour al-Din al-Zenki Movement [10][15][30][31] (also part of the Syrian Liberation Front)[26]
• Fastaqim Union[32]
• Mare' Military Council[15]
• Ahrar al-Sharqiya[33]
• Ahl al-Diyar[34]
• 9th Special Forces Division[35]
• Army of Victory (since 16 February)[36][10]
• Saladin Brigade (Descendants of Saladin Brigade remnant)[37][10][38]
• Martyr Mashaal Tammo Brigade[37][38]
• Qamishli Shield[37]
• Afrin Shield[37]
• Tajama a-Thuwar al-Kurd (coalition of Kurdish units in the TFSA)[39]

23rd Division fighters during the operation

• 23rd Division[20][40]
• Mustafa Brigade (ex-13th Division unit)[20]
• Northern Hawks Brigade[18]
• Vakkas Brigade[18]
• Mustafa Regiment[18]
• 1st Commando Brigade[18]
• Conqueror Lions Brigade[18]
• Resolute Storm Brigade[18]
• Authenticity and Development Front[18]
• Sultan Othman Brigade[18]
• Men of War Brigade[18]
• 5th Regiment[18]
• Second Army[18]
• Justice Union[18]
• Syrian Interim Government's Ministry of Defense
  • Military Police[12]
• Free Police
  • Ex-Free East Ghouta Police forces[41]

---

Southern front (non-TFSA units):

• Free Idlib Army (part of the National Front for Liberation since May 2018)
  • Mountain Hawks Brigade[10][20]
• Syrian Liberation Front elements[26] (part of the National Front for Liberation since August 2018)
  • Army of Mujahideen remnants[26]

Democratic Federation of Northern Syria and allied forces

People's Protection Units (YPG) fighters in Afrin Region during the operation

Syrian Democratic Forces

• People's Protection Units (YPG)
  • YPG International Battalion[42]
    • American, British and German fighters[1][2]
• Women's Protection Units (YPJ)
  • Martyr Avesta Xabur Battalion (Kongreya Star volunteers)[43]
• Anti-Terror Units (YAT)[44]
• Army of Revolutionaries[45]
  • Kurdish Front[46]
  • Revolutionary Shield Brigade[47]
• Syriac Military Council (MFS)[48][49]
• Northern Democratic Brigade[50][51]
  • Idlib Military Council[51]

A defensive position of the SDF on Mount Barsa (Barṣāyā) after its capture by Turkish-led troops

Afrin Region forces

• Self-Defence Forces (HXP)[52]
• Civil Defence Forces (HPC)[53]
• Asayish[54]

Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK)

• People's Defence Forces (HPG)[55]

International Freedom Battalion[56] and Peoples' United Revolutionary Movement[57]

• MLKP[58][59][60][61]
• TKP/ML TİKKO[58][60]
• United Freedom Forces[57]
  • THKP-C/MLSPB[57]
  • DKP[57][61]
• TKEP/L[57][62]
• RUIS[63]
• Martyr Michael Israel Brigade (Antifascist Forces in Afrin)[64][65][61]
  • Anarchist Struggle[66][67]

YPG sniper during the operation

Sinjar Alliance

• Sinjar Resistance Units (YBŞ)[68]
• Êzîdxan Women's Units (YJÊ)[68]

Anti-Turkish insurgents in Afrin District (from June 2018)

• Afrin Falcons[69]
• Wrath of Olives operations room[70]
• Afrin Liberation Forces[71][72]

Pro-government forces ("Popular Forces")[73][74]

• National Defence Forces[75][76][77][78]
• Baqir Brigade[79]
• Militias from Nubl and al-Zahraa[80][81]

References

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3. "3rd Commando Brigade".
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8. Özel Harekat böyle uğurlandı
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