In al-Bab, Turkish aircraft and artillery pounded IS positions as allied opposition forces grabbed new blocks in the town, according to the Syrian Observatory. Battlefield reports from Syrian opposition forces corroborated the Observatory's al-Bab review. The Turkish-backed Ahrar al-Sham militia announced Saturday on Twitter that opposition forces had taken the city's silos and sports complex in its southwestern districts. Turkey is leading Syrian opposition forces in a broad operation called "Euphrates Shield" against the Islamic State group and U.S.-backed Kurdish forces northern Syria. Turkey wants to clear groups it says are terrorists away from its border, while Syrian opposition forces are looking to secure territory before rival government forces arrive from the south.

Source: ABC News February 11, 2017 12:07 UTC