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Free Syrian Army Gains Control Over Six Aleppo Towns | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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This picture taken around 5 kilometres west from the Turkish Syrian border city of Karkamis in the southern region of Gaziantep, on August 25, 2016 shows Turkish Army tanks standing by. (AFP / BULENT KILIC)


Ankara-Six Syrian villages in Aleppo are now under the control of Free Syrian Army (FSA) forces as part of Operation Euphrates Shield which began on August 24, the Turkish Army announced.

The towns, al-Qadi, Kobbet al-Turikman, al-Battal hill, Aar hill, al-Suwaida, and Waqef in Aleppo northern countryside were cleared of ISIS terrorists.

The statement issued by the Turkish army on Sunday said that 83 terrorist sites were targeted by 293 bomb shells. In addition, F16 warplanes destroyed four ISIS locations in Qadi and Waqef villages.

The Turkish army reinforced its units on the Turkish-Syrian border, including armed forces and tanks brought from several Turkish districts to Kilis.

On Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim delivered a speech announcing Ankara’s military successes.

He said: “Thank God, today, from Azaz to Jarablus, our 91km of borderline with Syria has been entirely secured.” He added: “All the terrorist organizations were pushed back – they are gone.”

Yildirim said Turkey would never allow the formation of an artificial state in the north of Syria. “We are there with Euphrates Shield, we are there to protect our border, to provide for our citizens safety of life and property, and to ensure Syria’s integrity.”

Meanwhile, Turkish EU minister Omer Celik said that operation Euphrates Shield will continue because Turkey would not want to see headquarters and flags of Kurdish Workers’ Party and ISIS on the borders.

Celik added that Turkey doesn’t want to put its citizens under the danger of any possible rockets in the area stretching from the town of Rai to Jarablus.

His statement came as the U.S. embassy in Turkey announced that the U.S. military has attacked ISIS targets in Syria using mobile rocket launchers it has based on Turkish territory for the first time.

The announcement was done on the embassy’s official Twitter account: “Last night: U.S. HIMARS in place and in action. The latest step in U.S.-Turkey cooperation in the fight against #ISIS.”