14-Turkish soldiers killed in fighting against IS in Syria

In Syria, at least 14 Turkish soldiers have been killed and 33 wounded in fierce fighting against Islamic State terror group in the town of al-Bab, which Turkey is helping rebels take from IS control. 

It is the Turkish military's biggest loss in a single day since launching its military operation in Syria in August. The army said IS used multiple suicide bombs, with 138 IS fighters killed in the fighting. This toll could not be verified independently. 

As another key Syrian battleground - Aleppo - appears close to coming fully under Syrian



government control, the fight for al-Bab has intensified. The strategic town - which is about 20 kilometre from the Turkish border - has been the focus of the four-month Turkish offensive, aimed at pushing back IS and Kurdish forces.

According to the BBC, its military operation has wrought heavy losses on IS and that it is close to breaking the group's resistance in al-Bab. The question remains as to how far it wishes to go in Syria - and whether it will play a role in the eventual operation to drive IS out of its de facto capital in the country.