Dozens of Daesh terrorists killed in Syria operations

ANKARA

The Turkish army killed at least 47 Daesh terrorists in northern Syria in the past 24 hours as part of Operation Euphrates Shield, the military said on Wednesday.

The Turkish Air Force carried out airstrikes and launched artillery fire against Daesh positions in several areas of northern Syria including Kafrah, Duvaybik, Wakah and Arshak, destroying 77 targets, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement.

Nearly 1,100 square kilometers (386 square miles) of northern Syria have been cleared of Daesh since the beginning of the operation, the statement added.

During the operation, eight opposition soldiers were killed while 22 others were injured. There were no casualties in the Turkish army, the military said.

Turkey's Operation Euphrates Shield, which was launched on Aug. 24, is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the threat posed by terrorist organizations, especially Daesh.

The operation is in line with the country’s right to self-defense borne out of international treaties and a mandate given to Turkey’s armed forces by its parliament in 2014, which was extended for another year in September 2015.