17 ISIL militants ‘neutralized’ in north Syria: Turkish military

ANKARA

Seventeen Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants were “neutralized” in northern Syria over the last 24 hours as part of the Euphrates Shield operation, the Turkish military said Jan. 25.      

Turkish authorities use the word “neutralized” in their statements to imply the militants in question were either killed, captured or incapacitated.      

The Turkish Armed Forces also hit 180 ISIL positions in northern Syria, including command control facilities, shelters, vehicles and weapons, said a Turkish General Staff statement.      

Turkish jets also hit an ISIL shelter in the region of al-Bab on the 155th day of the operation. Some 30 hand-made grenades were also defused.      

Since the beginning of the operation, 3,149 handmade explosives and 55 mines have been defused under controlled conditions.      

The Euphrates Shield operation began in late August 2016 to tighten border security, eliminate the terror threat along Turkish borders and support opposition forces in Syria. The Free Syrian Army is backed by Turkish artillery and jets as part of the operation.