The Britain-based Observatory, which maintains a network of contacts in Syria, put the overall death toll at 53, although Syrian state TV said 48 were killed.
Advertisement
The news of ISIL’s losses along the Turkish border came as pro-government Syrian forces again brought rebel-held eastern Aleppo under siege, retaking territory they lost four weeks ago in the south-west of the city.
Last week, the Pentagon was forced to call on Turkey and Kurdish forces to avoid fighting each other, after clashes in northern Syria following the launch of Ankara’s operation “Euphrates Shield”, which is targeting both IS and the YPG.
Turkey views those Kurdish militias as an offshoot of its own Kurdish insurgent group-the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK-and fears the Syrian Kurds want to create an autonomous Kurdish state in the border region.
On Sunday, they took control of the villages of Ganime and Suveya, west of Jarabulus, as well as Kadikoy (El Kadi), the last Daesh-controlled village along the Turkish-Syrian border.
Some 20 villages were captured by Turkey-backed rebels in the offensive, which was backed by both Turkish tanks and warplanes.
Turkish armored units, artillery and air force took part in the battles, along with some 1,000 Syrian rebel fighters and air support from the US -led coalition against Islamic State.
Turkey’s recent intervention in the north has exposed major rifts and encouraged anti-Kurdish activity, Cafarella said in emails to The Associated Press.
The Observatory and the Local Coordination Committees, another Syrian monitoring group, said an IS suicide attacker riding a motorcycle struck in the northern village of Khalfatli, killing and wounding a number of people, including rebels.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the Syrian crisis, the situation in Syria’s Manbij and Jarablus, as well as fighting the “Islamic State” (IS, aka ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) terrorist group. Turkey has long pushed for a safe zone in Syria between these two towns, with a plan to house Syrian refugees there.
Turkey and allied Syrian rebels have also fought US -backed Kurdish forces known as the People’s Protection Units, or YPG, around Jarablus.
The U.S. moved quickly to de-escalate tensions between the two groups it considers close allies so that Turkey could refocus its military goals on defeating Islamic State, according to officials familiar with the situation.
However, the US sees the YPG militia as an important strategic part of the USA -led anti-IS coalition and has provided them with extensive aid and air strikes. Turkey mounted its first attack in northern Syria last week, more than five years after the civil war began in 2011.
Advertisement
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said on Sunday that the US and Russian Federation were struggling to reach a ceasefire agreement on Syria.
