9 Daesh terrorists 'neutralized' in northern Syria

By Sinan Uslu

ANKARA (AA) – Nine Daesh terrorists were “neutralized” in northern Syria during Operation Euphrates Shield on Thursday, according to the Turkish military.

The Turkish Armed Forces said an ongoing air operation saw Turkish jets destroy one armed vehicle used by Daesh terrorists.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question was either killed or captured.

Operation Euphrates Shield began in late August to rid Syria's northern border area of terrorists.

Over 215 residential areas, including more than 1,800 square kilometers (694 square miles) of land in northern Syria have been cleared of Daesh terrorists as part of the operation so far.

Syria has remained locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011, when the Bashar al-Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests with unexpected ferocity.

Since then, more than 250,000 people have been killed and more than 10 million displaced, according to UN figures.