Airstrikes pound Syria's Afrin as Turkey launches 'Operation Olive Branch'

By Mert Ozkan and Ellen FrancisHASSA, Turkey/BEIRUT (Reuters) - Turkey opened a new front in Syria's nearly seven-year-old war on Saturday, launching airstrikes against a U.S.-backed Kurdish militia in Afrin province that raise the prospect of a further strain on relations between Ankara and Washington.The operation, dubbed "Operation Olive Branch" by Ankara, pits Turkey against Kurdish fighters allied to the United States at a time when ties between Turkey and Washington - NATO allies and membe