Mon Sep 19, 2016 16:50:01
Turkey-backed rebels say they have taken control of five villages around the town of Al-Rai, north of Aleppo near the Syria and Turkey border.
Amateur video which purports to show the fighting for control of the villages was uploaded to social media on Monday (September 19).
The fighting is part of the Euphrates Shield operation which Turkey launched in August in northern Syria, aimed at clearing Islamic State (ISIS / Daesh / ISIL) from Turkey’s Syrian border and stopping the advance of Syrian Kurdish fighters.
So far, Turkey has secured a narrow strip of land along its border with Syria.
Turkey has long argued for the need for a "safe zone" or a "no-fly" zone along its Syrian border, with the aim of clearing out Islamic State (ISIS / Daesh / ISIL) and Kurdish fighters and of stemming a wave of immigration that has caused tension in Europe.
But Western allies have so far balked at the idea, saying it would require a significant ground force and planes to patrol, marking a major commitment in such a crowded battlefield.
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