A total of 18 terrorists of the so-called ‘Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISIL) takfiri group were “neutralized” in northern Syria over the last 24 hours as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield, the Turkish military said Monday.
Turkish authorities often use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply the extremists in question were either killed or captured.
The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) said a total of 180 ISIL targets including shelters, defense positions, command control centers, weapons and vehicles were hit with tanks and multiple-launch rocket launchers.
Separately, Turkish jets destroyed 8 other ISIL targets including headquarters and vehicles used by the terrorists in air raids on al-Bab region, the statement added.
The Turkish army is supporting Free Syrian Army fighters in liberating Al-Bab from the ISIL group. Monday marks the 146th day since the city was surrounded in order to liberate it.
The operation is part of the Turkish-led Operation Euphrates Shield, which began in late August to improve security, support coalition forces, and eliminate the threat along Turkey’s border using gunmen of the so-called ‘Free Syrian Army’ backed by Turkish artillery and jets.
In total, 43 landmines and 2,933 improvised explosive devices have been defused since the start of the operation on Aug. 24.
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