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At least 30 civilians killed by IS in northern Syria

Xinhua, December 26, 2016 Adjust font size:

At least 30 civilians, who made an attempt to escape from Syria's al-Bab in Northern Syria on Dec. 25, were killed by Islamic State (IS) terrorist attack with mines and hand-made explosives, Turkish military source told Anadolu Agency on Monday.

IS has been threatening civilians in al-Bab and trying to push them to stay in the city, where the roads and streets have been blocked by the terror group's barricades.

Meanwhile, A Turkish solider injured in Al-Bab during the clash with IS died on Dec.26 while being treated in Gaziantep province, adding the death toll of Turkish soldiers killed in northern Syria in last week to 17, Dogan News Agency reported.

16 Turkish soldiers were killed in an IS attack on Dec. 21 in Al-Bab, as Turkish troops and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels battle to take the town from jihadists,Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik said on Dec. 22.

Isik said on Dec. 23 that he had information that three Turkish soldiers were abducted by IS militants in northern Syria but added that other "comments" beyond this information were not confirmed.

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