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Turkish-backed Syrian Rebels Push into IS-held City

by VOA News

   Backed by Turkish troops, Syrian rebels pushed into the Islamic
   State-held town of al-Bab, just north of Aleppo, a monitor said.
   The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the
   opposition forces took control of a hospital as they made their way
   into the city.
   "Turkish forces and allied rebels in the Euphrates Shield campaign
   entered the western edge of the town and took control of a number of
   areas," the monitor said.
   The town has been under siege since Monday. Anti-IS forces took control
   of the northern part of town by Thursday morning and the two sides have
   been engaged in heavy clashes since then.
   On Friday, government forces moved to within about 1.5 kilometers of
   the southern outskirts of the town as the Turkish troops came in from
   the north.
   IS took control of al-Bab in 2014 when it seized large areas of Syria
   and Iraq to establish its so-called caliphate. Turkey began operations
   to remove IS from Syria in August.