One soldier, 28 jihadists killed in Euphrates Shield

ANKARA

AA photo

Clashes occurred in the Ziyara area, which was seized by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), after ISIL attempted to infiltrate the area, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement on Oct. 5.
One soldier was killed, while three soldiers were wounded in the clashes.

It said that two FSA members were also killed, while 17 others were wounded. 

Meanwhile, 28 ISIL militants also were killed. 

The statement said Turkish warplanes targeted ISIL elements in the area.

The Turkish General Staff also hit 75 ISIL targets with 221 rounds of Fırtına (storm) howitzer fire, 14 military tanks, and 40 rounds of multiple rocket launchers. 

Turkish jets targeted six ISIL positions located in Dabiq, Rasm al-Wardm and Aktarim. 

In addition, army forces carried out nine air strikes separately in the Turkman Bareh, Ziyara, Titanah, and Aktarin regions, killing five ISIL militants and destroying five buildings. 

A total of 1,875 ISIL targets have been destroyed by over 7,100 rounds of artillery and rocket fire since the start of the operation in late August. 

To date, a total of 115 residential areas over 980 square kilometers of northern Syria have so far been cleared of ISIL militants. 

Turkey says Operation Euphrates Shield, launched on Aug. 24, is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces, and eliminating the threat posed by terror organizations, especially ISIL. 

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Oct. 5 that at least 19 civilians killed, including three children, were killed in an air strike on a village held by ISIL in northern Syria on Oct. 5. 

The observatory said it was unclear whether the strike was carried out by the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIL or Turkey. The strike hit the village of Thalthana, in northern Aleppo province, the Britain-based monitor said.
Thalthana lies near the key ISIL stronghold of al-Bab, and is just 12 kilometers southeast of the jihadist-held Dabiq, which Turkish-backed rebels have been pushing toward in recent days.