Turkish troops and so-called 'moderate Islamist' Free Syrian Army (FSA) militants have entered Jarablus town centre and taken over all government buildings from Islamic State. Reports say almost no clashes took place between the two sides as IS militants had evacuated the city days before. Footage from FSA militants also shows that there is no civilian presence left in the city in Syria's north.
More than 20 Turkish tanks and 500+ FSA troops entered Northern Syria this morning as part of the 'Euphrates Shield' operation, what Turkish officials have called an "assault on Islamic State and YPG terrorists."
Kurdish sources have reported Turkish shelling of Kurdish majority neighbourhoods in the east and west of Jarablus, where at least 49 civilians have been killed say Kurdish sources.
More than 3000 civilians have fled to nearby Manbij, which was liberated from Islamic State by Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) recently. Kurdish officials have condemned Turkey's excursion as occupation, with PYD co-chair Saleh Moslem saying: Turkey is in Syrian quagmire and will be defeated like Daish (Islamic State). Kurdish commentators and some international media sources have emphasised that the true target of the military excursion is not IS but Kurdish-led forces who were preparing for a military operation to liberate Jarablus, Al-Bab and Mare from IS and unite the three cantons of Rojava. (Read more)
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