17 ISIL militants ‘neutralized’ in north Syria: Turkish army

ANKARA

Seventeen Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were “neutralized” in northern Syria have been over the last 24 hours as part of the Euphrates Shield Operation, the Turkish military said early on Jan. 18.

Turkish authorities use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply that the militants in question were either killed or captured.        

The Turkish Armed Forces also hit 145 ISIL targets in Syria’s al-Bab region, said a General Staff statement.      
  
A total of 137 ISIL targets, including shelters, defense points, command and control facilities, and vehicles, were destroyed with heavy support from land and air. Turkish tanks, cannons, howitzers, and rocket launchers hit those targets as well as six shelters, one headquarters, and a would-be car bomb.        

Eight ISIL targets were hit in al-Bab and Suflaniyah by Turkish jets and combat drones.      
 
Since the start of the operation in August 2016, 2,945 handmade explosives and 43 mines have been neutralized under controlled conditions.        

The Turkish army is supporting Free Syrian Army fighters in their fight to liberate al-Bab from the jihadist group. Jan. 18 marks day 148 since the city was surrounded in order to liberate it.        

The operation began on Aug. 24, 2016 to tighten border security, eliminate the terror threat along Turkish borders, and support opposition forces in Syria. The Free Syrian Army is backed by Turkish artillery and jets as a part of the operation.