Turkey plans to send more ground troops into Syria to capture a key town held by jihadists, as Ankara seeks to extend its unprecedented military operation against the extremist group, reports said Wednesday.
In the operation that began on August 24, Turkish special forces, tanks and artillery as well as coalition air strikes have supported Ankara-backed Syrian rebels fighting Islamic State (IS) jihadists.
The additional Turkish infantry troops are needed to capture the town of Al-Bab from the jihadists, military sources told the Hurriyet daily, without specifying when the push might start.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey could push further south to create a 5,000-square-kilometre safe zone in Syria ©Bulent Kilic (AFP/File)
The pro-Ankara rebels backed by Turkey captured Jarabulus from IS on the first day of the offensive and have since also taken several villages around Jarabulus and neighbouring Al-Rai.
But the sources told Hurriyet that taking Al-Bab would be a far tougher proposition.
The IS bastion of Al-Bab is 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Al-Rai on the Turkish border and in the battleground province of Aleppo.
A Turkish official told Hurriyet daily that it was essential that Ankara had "a comprehensive ground force" to push further into Al-Bab city.
"Of course, operation plans include ground force elements," the official said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said before heading to the UN General Assembly in New York this week that Turkey could push further south to create a 5,000-square-kilometre (1,900 square-mile) safe zone in Syria.
Military sources also told the HaberTurk newspaper that the Al-Bab operation was slower and riskier compared with the lightning advance in Jarabulus and Al-Rai because there was a higher risk of military losses and mines had been laid by IS.
The sources said that Ankara wanted to avoid hitting Syrian regime targets by accident because Syria's President Bashar al-Assad remained in control of the south of the city.
Ten Turkish soldiers have been killed since the operation began, with the latest deaths coming in an explosion on the border Tuesday.
Turkey says the Syria incursion -- dubbed operation Euphrates Shield -- is needed to ensure permanent security in the border area by eliminating the presence of both IS jihadists and Kurdish militia fighters.
According to press reports, there are already hundreds of Turkish troops and dozens of Turkish tanks inside Syria.
