56 ISIL militants killed in northern Syria: Turkish military

ANKARA - Reuters

AA photo

A total of 56 Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were killed by Turkey-backed forces around the Syrian town of al-Bab and by U.S.-led coalition air strikes in the latest operations on Feb. 22, the Turkish military said on Feb. 23.

Turkish artillery fire also hit 104 ISIL targets, including buildings and bombed vehicles, the army said in a statement, reiterating it had largely established control in the residential areas of al-Bab.
   
The ISIL stronghold, 30 km (20 miles) from the Turkish border, has been a prime target since Turkey launched an operation with Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebels in August 2016 to push the jihadists from its frontier.

The army said 11 of the jihadists were killed in air strikes by coalition forces, while the rest were killed in artillery fire and clashes during operations in al-Bab.