Turkish forces and Syrian rebels have driven out the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group from its remaining territory along the Syrian-Turkish border, according to Turkey's state media and a monitor.


Backed by Turkish forces, Free Syrian Army rebels cleared the area between the northern Syrian towns of Azaz and Jarablus, the Anadolu news agency reported on Sunday.

It said the advance "has removed terror organisation Daesh's physical contact with the Turkish border in northern Syria". Daesh is an Arabic acronym for ISIL, also known as ISIS, or IS.

READ MORE: Turkish tanks enter Syria in new front against ISIL
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also said on Sunday that ISIL "had lost its contact with the outside world after losing the remaining border villages between the Sajur River... and Al-Rai".

The UK-based group, which monitors daily developments in the war, said "rebels and Islamist factions backed by Turkish tanks and warplanes" had taken several villages on the border "after IS withdrew from them, ending IS's presence... on the border".


Sunday's development came a day after rebel factions took control of a number of villages in the area, without meeting any resistance from ISIL fighters.

"There are no clashes, ISIL fighters flee as soon as they see us advancing, especially because we are supported by Turkish air power," Ahmed Othman, a commander in the pro-Turkey rebel group Sultan Murad, told Al Jazeera from Aleppo's northern suburbs on Saturday.

The loss of the area near the Turkish border will deprive ISIL of a key transit point for recruits and supplies, though the group continues to hold territory in both Syria and Iraq.

Last week, Turkey launched its first major incursion into neighbouring Syria since the civil war began more than five years ago.  After crossing the border on August 24, Turkish-backed Syrian rebels captured the border town of Jarablus from ISIL in 14 hours.

Dubbed Euphrates Shield, Turkey's operation, which involves tanks, fighter jets and special forces, is targeting both ISIL but also Syrian Kurdish forces that have been key to driving the armed group's fighters out of other parts of the Syrian-Turkish border.

The Kurdish YPG militia is a key partner of the US-led coalition against ISIL, and has recaptured large swathes of territory in Syria from the group.

Yet, Ankara considers the YPG a "terrorist" group and has been alarmed by its expansion along the border, fearing the creation of a contiguous, semi-autonomous Kurdish region in northern Syria.

Turkish military opens up new front against ISIL in Syria


 

source:aljazeera