The strategically important city of al-Bab, Syria, has been captured from Daesh by the Turkish military and the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Turkish military officials confirmed on Friday.
“As of Feb. 24 2017, all neighborhoods of al-Bab have been captured. Operations clearing mines, IEDs and other obstacles are underway," said the military.
The Turkish military has been methodically asserting control over al-Bab for weeks as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield.
Turkey has now effectively formed a buffer zone in Northern Syria after successfully clearing Jarabluus and Dabiq and now al-Bab of terrorist organizations such as Daesh.
The Turkish-led operation, aided by the FSA, was launched in late August to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the threat of terror along the Turkish-Syrian border.