26 ISIL militants ‘neutralized’ in northern Syria: Turkish military

ANKARA

AA photo

At least 26 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were killed, wounded or captured in northern Syria over the 24 hours up to the morning of Feb. 14, the Turkish military has stated.        

The Euphrates Shield operation, in which Turkish forces are backing Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters, is currently trying to take the town of al-Bab, 30 kilometers (18 miles) south of the Turkish border.      
  
A statement from the General Staff said 135 ISIL targets - including shelters, headquarters, defensive positions and vehicles - were hit by the FSA and the Turkish army.        

The Turkish Air Force destroyed 42 buildings used by the jihadist group and a vehicle carrying a bomb, the statement added.        

The operation was launched in August 2016 to clear the northern Syrian border region of groups that Turkey considers a threat, including ISIL and the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).