No letup in Turkish-Russian fight against Daesh in al-Bab, 18 terrorists killed
|(AA Photo)


The Turkish military and Russian air forces continue to hit terrorist targets in and around al-Bab to retake the Syrian town from Daesh militants.

Turkish military forces have killed 18 Daesh terrorists in al-Bab as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield, while Russian planes pounded other Daesh targets in Syria's Deir Qaq region, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) announced on Tuesday in a written statement.

Amid clashes during Tuesday's counter-terror operation, 150 Daesh targets were destroyed, the TSK said.

The military statement also indicated that Turkish jets destroyed four other Daesh targets in total, including a terrorist shelter and an ammunition depot in the al-Bab and Bzagah regions, adding that 37 other terrorist were seriously wounded during the operation.

The town of Deir Qaq, where Russian jets hit Daesh targets, is 8 kilometers (nearly 5 miles) southwest of al-Bab.The Turkish military is supporting the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in its fight to liberate al-Bab, a strategic city for Daesh.

Launched on Aug. 24, Operation Euphrates Shield aims to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the terrorist threat along Turkey's border using FSA fighters backed by Turkish artillery and jets.

Ankara has slammed the U.S.-led coalition for not supporting the Turkish military's anti-Daesh fight. President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Prime Minister Binali Yıldırım have repeatedly expressed Turkey's frustration over the lack of backing from the U.S.-led coalition in the campaign in and around al-Bab.

Currently, brigades of al-Hamza, Sultan Murad and Sultan Fatih are jointly combating with the TSK against Daesh terrorists in northern Syria.