Turkey bombs ISIS targets near Syria’s al-Bab, YPG targets near Manbij
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – The Turkish Air Force continued targeting of ISIS militants near the northwestern Syrian city of Al-Bab, ahead of a Free Syrian Army (FSA) offensive to capture the town from the group, the Turkish military said.
In a written statement cited by Hurriyet news on Monday the Turkish military said the airstrikes successfully destroyed 17 ISIS targets on Sunday, northeast of Al-Bab in the towns of Bzaghah, Qabasin and Suflaniyah.
Targets destroyed included four buildings which ISIS reportedly used as a headquarters.
Sunday’s airstrikes followed a bomb attack by ISIS near Al-Bab which left one Turkish soldier dead and two wounded on Saturday.
The Turkish military also reported that over the weekend it targeted a total of 79 ISIS targets with artillery. Ankara also attacked at least five targets belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) with both air and artillery strikes, reportedly wounding at least four fighters west of the city of Manbij.
Turkey staunchly opposes the YPG presence on the west bank of the Euphrates River and has demanded they withdraw from Manbij. The YPG had previously announced it was withdrawing from Manbij but Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday that Ankara was still awaiting the groups withdrawal.
Sunday's strikes against ISIS are part of the latest phase of Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield campaign in Syria, the capture of the city of Al-Bab.
Al-Bab is the only city ISIS still occupies in northwestern Syria since the US-backed YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) successfully captured Manbij from the militants in mid-August, following a lengthy summer offensive.
Turkey has been supporting hundreds of Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters in northwestern Syria with tanks, artillery, airstrikes and a small number of ground troops since they launched the Euphrates Shield operation on August 24.
In a written statement cited by Hurriyet news on Monday the Turkish military said the airstrikes successfully destroyed 17 ISIS targets on Sunday, northeast of Al-Bab in the towns of Bzaghah, Qabasin and Suflaniyah.
Targets destroyed included four buildings which ISIS reportedly used as a headquarters.
Sunday’s airstrikes followed a bomb attack by ISIS near Al-Bab which left one Turkish soldier dead and two wounded on Saturday.
The Turkish military also reported that over the weekend it targeted a total of 79 ISIS targets with artillery. Ankara also attacked at least five targets belonging to the Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) with both air and artillery strikes, reportedly wounding at least four fighters west of the city of Manbij.
Turkey staunchly opposes the YPG presence on the west bank of the Euphrates River and has demanded they withdraw from Manbij. The YPG had previously announced it was withdrawing from Manbij but Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on Friday that Ankara was still awaiting the groups withdrawal.
Sunday's strikes against ISIS are part of the latest phase of Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield campaign in Syria, the capture of the city of Al-Bab.
Al-Bab is the only city ISIS still occupies in northwestern Syria since the US-backed YPG-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) successfully captured Manbij from the militants in mid-August, following a lengthy summer offensive.
Turkey has been supporting hundreds of Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters in northwestern Syria with tanks, artillery, airstrikes and a small number of ground troops since they launched the Euphrates Shield operation on August 24.