Beirut, Dec 23 (IANS) At least 47 people were killed, including 14 minors and nine women, in Turkish air strikes against the Syrian city of al-Bab, controlled by the Islamic State terrorist organisation, media reports said.
Britain-based information office Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that there are serious injuries and people trapped in the rubble and it does not rule out a further increase in the number of fatalities.
The bombings on Thursday come after 14 Turkish soldiers died on Wednesday and another 33 were wounded in attacks by extremists against Turkish troops in the vicinity of al-Bab, reports Efe.
The observatory said the Syrian insurgents, backed by Turkish planes and tanks, launched an offensive on the outskirts of al-Bab on Wednesday, but their attack was repelled by extremists, who recovered those points.
Since the end of August, Syrian armed groups and Turkish troops have been carrying out an operation to expel IS from northern Aleppo.
