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Turkish army kills 24 IS militants in northern Syria

Xinhua, December 23, 2016 Adjust font size:

Turkish warplanes and artilleries killed 24 Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Syria on Friday, according to an official statement.

Turkish warplanes struck 51 IS targets, killing 22 IS militants and destroying 37 buildings used as shelters, weapon pits and defensive positions, three arsenals and a logistics center in northern Syria's al-Bab, the Turkish General Staff said Friday.

Meanwhile, Turkish artilleries hit 143 IS targets and killed two militants in the same operation, adding that a drone of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) was seized.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Thursday that about 200 IS militants were killed in the latest clashes.

"Our struggle is not an ordinary struggle. We have 16 martyrs; around 200 DAESH fighters have been killed," said Erdogan in Ankara, using an Arabic acronym for IS.

"We could not stay silent against those that threaten our country, and we are doing what is necessary," he added.

On Aug. 24, the Turkish Armed Forces launched the Euphrates Shield Operation against IS and the Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), the military wing of the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD).

Turkish President Erdogan said that the operation was also meant to end the rule of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

Turkey lists the YPG and the PYD as terrorist organizations due to their links to the PKK. Endit