The Turkish Armed Forces eliminated 18 IS militants and destroyed 150 targets as part of the Euphrates Shield Operation in northern Syria in coordination with Russia, the Turkish General Staff said Tuesday. “Yesterday 18 IS terrorists were killed and 150 targets destroyed,” the General Staff was quoted as saying by the CNN Turk broadcaster, Sputnik reported. Earlier in the day, reports emerged that Turkish troops eliminated 22 IS fighters and 111 targets in Syria as part of the offensive to liberate the IS-held city of al-Bab. On August 24, the Turkish Army launched the operation against the terrorist group. Turkish forces, with assistance from Syrian opposition fighters, occupied the city of Jarabulus in northern Syria and are currently conducting its offensive against al-Bab. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that the aim of the operation is to clear the region of terrorists and make it a safety zone for refugees. The operation has been widely criticized both by the Syrian Kurds and Damascus, who have accused Ankara of violating Syria’s territorial integrity.
