In August, Turkey launched an incursion into Syria to drive Islamic State away from its border and prevent Kurdish militia groups from seizing ground in their wake. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said forces in northern Syria are now approaching the town of al-Bab, northeast of Aleppo.

“We chased them to Dabiq. They resisted in Dabiq but we broke their resistance. They left Dabiq and went to al-Bab,” Erdogan said.

“Our goal is to advance to al-Bab and push them to the south. We are currently 12 or 13 kilometers from al-Bab. Our mission continues.”