Islamic State lose control of last stretches of Syria-Turkey border: monitor

On Sunday, they took control of the villages of Ganime and Suveya, west of Jarabulus, as well as Kadikoy (El Kadi), the last Daesh-controlled village along the Turkish-Syrian border.

The group has suffered a string of defeats in recent months in both Syria and Iraq.

The U.S. has provided extensive aid and airstrikes to the YPG-led Syria Democratic Forces, which have proven to be highly effective against IS. Turkey views the Kurds as a threat and the Turkey-backed forces have clashed with them outside Jarablus.

Some 10 days ago, Turkey mounted its first full-scale incursion into Syrian territory since the conflict began in 2011, aimed at IS and at USA -backed Kurdish forces in the area, which have also been battling the jihadists.

The advance comes after Turkey launched an operation on on August 24 dubbed Euphrates Shield, saying it was targeting both IS but also Syrian Kurdish forces that have been key to driving the jihadists out of other parts of the Syrian-Turkish border.

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim defended his country’s intervention in neighboring Syria, pointing to their long shared border.

“We will continue our operations (in Syria) until we fully guarantee security of life and property for our citizens and the security of our border…”

Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday that terrorism is a long-term issue for discussion by members of the Group of 20 nations gathering in China’s Hangzhou coastal city for their 2016 summit.

Turkey intervened militarily in Syria’s war less than two weeks ago by launching Operation Euphrates Shield.

“If necessary, Turkey would move towards further south”, he said.

At the time, almost 40 Turkish tanks backed by some 1,000 Syrian rebel forces entered Syria. The city has been contested since summer 2012.

There are about 250,000 civilians living in the city’s rebel-held areas. The Observatory confirmed a bomb but had no casualty figures. “The whole areas are under complete siege”. Hezbollah has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to bolster President Bashar Assad’s forces.

Significant sticking points remain in negotiations over creating a U.S. -Russian military partnership against extremist groups operating in Syria.

“Once this goal is achieved, the third target will likely be to push Daesh terrorists further south to al Bab”, the daily noted, using IS’ Arabic name.

Earlier Sunday, US President Barack Obama suggested an agreement was in sight. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can.

“We’re not going to rush”, he said, stressing the importance of reaching a deal that was able “to try to get the job done”.

Why 4 a.m.is the most productive hour. Lavrov’s deputy, Sergei Ryabkov, said a deal was “close” but that Washington had to dissociate itself from the Nusra Front. The YPG has been among the most effective partners on the ground in the US -led fight against IS.

The war has killed more than 250,000 people and displaced 11 million, causing a refugee crisis in the Middle East and Europe, and contributed to a rise in militant Islamist groups.

Turkish authorities are also building a wall to boost security along a stretch of its border with Syria, Anadolu reported.

Officials from the United States and Russian Federation, which back opposite sides in Syria’s civil war, have been meeting since Kerry travelled to Moscow in July with a proposal that would halt the fighting.

No injuries were reported Sunday.

Information for this article was contributed by Zeynep Bilginsoy and Philip Issa of The Associated Press and by Benjamin Harvey, Simin Demokan, Taylan Bilgic and Ercan Ersoy of Bloomberg News.