Multiple bomb blasts in different Syrian cities

A wall along the border between Turkey and Syria is pictured near the southeastern town of Deliosman in Kilis province, Turkey, August 29, 2016.

The Islamic State jihadist group has reportedly lost control of its last strip of territory along the Syrian-Turkish border. It said the incursion, dubbed Operation Euphrates Shield, was meant to engage the Daesh Takfiri terrorists in the Syrian-Turkish border area as well as Kurdish fighters, who were themselves fighting Daesh. Since then, government forces and their allies have been trying to recapture the area.

The advance took place little more than a week after Turkey launched the Syrian incursion, called Euphrates Shield, deploying tanks and air power to support the rebels, who swept into the border town of Jarablus.

Analysts say Turkey is using the fight against Daesh as a cover for its real mission, which is purging Syrian border areas of Kurdish militants.

Meanwhile, Syrian government forces are reportedly advancing near Aleppo in an attempt to besiege rebel-held parts of the northern city.

Those claims were confirmed by monitors from the Britain-based London Observatory for Human Rights.

In a statement, Turkey’s military said the militants fired rockets at Turkish tanks during clashes near the border area from where IS was pushed out of on Sunday.

A senior Turkish official said two soldiers were killed on the spot and five injured in the attack by Isis.

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

The Kurdish YPG militia, a critical part of the USA -backed campaign against Islamic State, took nearly complete control of Hasaka city in late August after a week of fighting with the government.

The sources noted that the soldiers who were wounded during the attacks have been transferred to hospitals by helicopters and are now receiving treatment.

The establishment of such a corridor in northern Syria, which would strengthen the hands of Kurdish groups to launch a Kurdish state in the region, is the biggest fear of Turkey.

Ankara and NATO may discuss the closure of airspace in the north of Syria, on all territories liberated from the militants of “Islamic State”.

“In all of his meetings, he encouraged unity of effort and de-confliction between all forces fighting ISIL in northern Syria”, the spokesman said.

Monday’s bombings came in rapid succession during the morning rush hour, targeting the central city of Homs; a highly guarded Damascus suburb; the government stronghold of Tartus, where Russian Federation has a major naval base; and Kurdish areas in northeastern Syria. USA -backed Kurdish fighters in Syria are “PKK terrorists disguised as a different group”, he said, referring to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.