Turkish Army and Ankara-Supported Rebels Enter Syrian Al-Bab

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Turkish army and the rebels it supports entered the western outskirts of the city of Al-Bab on Sunday. Al-Bab is the last significant city in Aleppo province under the control of the 'Islamic State'. The London-based Observatory reported that Turkish soldiers and Ankara-backed rebels have taken control of the western outskirts and parts of Al-Bab during the operation known as 'Euphrates Shield'. On February 6, it was reported that the 'ISIS' group in Al-Bab was completely surrounded by the Turkish army and supported rebels in the western, northern, and eastern areas, while the southern regions were surrounded by the Syrian army and pro-Bashar Assad groups. Al-Bab fell under the control of this extremist Islamist group in 2014 during major advances by the 'Islamic State'. The city is located 30 kilometers from the Turkish border and 40 kilometers from Aleppo, which was once Syria's economic center. In recent months, the Islamic State has lost parts of the areas it controlled. This group has been under attack from a coalition led by the United States, several rebels supported by this coalition, the Syrian army, and its supporters, as well as the Turkish army in recent months. The Turkish military operation 'Euphrates Shield' began in the summer. Al-Bab is currently surrounded by opposing forces while Ankara and Moscow have expanded their relations and interactions during this time. Turkey supports several rebel groups, while Russia, alongside Iran, is one of the main supporters of Bashar Assad. Currently, these three countries are engaged in negotiations centered on Syria in Astana. During the Euphrates Shield operation, Turkey has attacked both ISIS militants and Kurdish militants, who are supported by the United States. The Turkish Dogan news agency reported on Sunday that 66 Turkish soldiers have been killed so far during Turkey's military operations in Syria. According to this report, most of them were targeted during ISIS attacks. Three Turkish soldiers were also killed during a Russian airstrike. Moscow claims this attack was a mistake and an investigation is underway. The Syrian civil war has left half a million dead and displaced half of the country's population. The central government led by Bashar Assad, extremist groups like the 'Islamic State' and al-Qaeda branches, have been accused of 'war crimes' by human rights organizations. Several other rebel groups have also faced similar accusations from non-governmental organizations. A recent report from Amnesty International stated that since 2011, up to 13,000 people have been arbitrarily and collectively executed in a prison controlled by the Syrian army near Damascus, and their bodies have been buried in mass graves without informing their relatives.