MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The Turkish military's airstrikes killed 18 militants from the Islamic State (ISIL or Daesh) jihadist group in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, media reported Saturday.
As part of Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish military also destroyed 14 Daesh targets in the town, including eight shelters, two vehicles, two headquarters and two defense positions, Turkish Daily Sabah newspaper reported.
According to the newspaper, a total of 214 positions were shelled by the Turkish military in order to enable movement of the anti-terrorist forces. Turkey also neutralized a total of 2,922 improvised explosive devices.
On August 24, the Turkish army launched Operation Euphrates Shield against militants of the Daesh group, which is outlawed in Russia and many other countries. Turkish forces, with assistance from Syrian opposition fighters, occupied the city of Jarabulus in northern Syria and are currently conducting its offensive on al-Bab. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the aim of the operation is to clear the region from terrorists and make it a safety zone for refugees.
The operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus, who have accused Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.
