Hundreds of Syrian Civilians Killed in Turkish Operation in Al-Bab
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Turkish army is close to the end of its operation to capture the northern Syrian city of al-Bab, the military said on Friday, adding that the Daesh terrorist group's resistance has been largely broken, but the campaign has killed over 400 civilians, mostly children.
At least 13 Daesh terrorists were killed in the last 24 hours, as part of the Turkish-led Operations Euphrates Shield, which involves allied Syrian rebel groups supported by Turkey, a Turkish General Staff statement said on Friday.
"The operation to gain complete control of the al-Bab region has neared its end and the resistance of the Daesh terror group has largely been broken," the Turkish military statement said.
Some 70 Daesh targets, including the terrorists' shelters and arms depot were hit by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), the statement added.
Seven buildings allegedly used by the terrorist group as hideouts were also targeted by Turkish fighter jets, the New Arab reported.
The Turkish campaign in al-Bab – in which Ankara seeks to clean its border zone from the presence of Daesh terrorists as well as halt the advance of Kurdish militants– has killed over 400 civilians, mostly children, according to the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
On Thursday, 34 civilians – including 17 children - were killed by Turkish bombardment of of al-Bab, despite Turkish army claiming only "terrorists" died in the operation.
The Observatory said the dead in airstrikes and shelling on the town had killed 24 civilians, including 11 children, by Thursday morning.
Renewed bombardment later in the day killed another ten civilians, among them six children, according to Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.
