Turkish Shelling Kills at Least 11 Civilians in North Syria's al-Bab

At least 11 civilians were killed in the northern Syrian town of al-Bab over 24 hours, as a result of shelling by the Turkish artillery, Syria's SANA reported Tuesday, citing local sources.

DAMASCUS (Sputnik) — According to the SANA news agency, there were three children and four women among those killed. The shelling reportedly heavily damaged residential buildings and infrastructure in the town.

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 Jarablus 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 territory of 5,000 square kilometers (1,930 square miles) in Syria as part of the operation and create a safe zone for refugees. Al-Bab is located 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) south of the Turkish border.

The operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus, who have accused Ankara of violating Syria's territorial integrity.