Turkey says 'plans complete' for assault on Kurd militia in Syria

Turkey has completed preparations for a new operation in northern Syria to "destroy" a US-backed Kurdish militia that Ankara considers a terrorist group, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday.

The Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) holds territory east of the Euphrates River, where Turkey has repeatedly threatened to launch a fresh offensive against the militia.

"We are going to destroy the terrorist structure in the east of the Euphrates. We have completed our preparations, plans, programmes regarding this issue," Erdogan told lawmakers from his ruling party in parliament.

Erdogan appeared to indirectly confirm Turkish state media reports that Turkey's military fired artillery shells at YPG positions east of the Euphrates in the Kobane region of northern Syria on Sunday. The YPG has held the area since 2015.

"In fact, in the past few days, we have begun real interventions against the terror organisation," Erdogan said, without giving further details.

"We are going to breathe down the necks of the terror organisation with comprehensive and effective operations soon. As I have always said, we can come suddenly one night."