Turkey, Syrian rebels in 'near complete control' of Syria's al-Bab

Turkish armed forces and allied Syrian rebels have almost total control of the Syrian flashpoint town of al-Bab after entering the center of the former jihadist stronghold, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Işık said on Feb. 23. 

"It's been a long time since we entered al-Bab but today we can say that near complete control has been taken of al-Bab and the city center has been entered," Işık said in İzmir.

Turkey and Ankara-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) members have been seeking to oust the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from al-Bab since last year but have encountered heavy resistance and suffered heavy casualties.

Earlier in the day, state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkish Armed Forces and FSA fighters seized central al-Bab on Feb. 23.

"When the search and combing operations are over, we will be able to say that al-Bab has been completely cleared of Daesh elements," said Işık, using an Arabic acronym for ISIL. "This does not need too much more time. As of today, the city center has been entered and search and combing operations [for remaining jihadists] have been launched." 

Işık reaffirmed that Turkey was now ready to join any operation by international coalition forces to take the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto capital of the extremist group.

But he insisted such a campaign must not include the Syrian Kurdish Democratic Union Party (PYD). 

Işık said such an operation should include pro-Ankara FSA rebels and Raqqa's own residents.

"Turkey would be able to provide such a coalition operation with the necessary support," he said.

A rebel commander said al-Bab had been totally liberated, according to Reuters. 

"We are announcing al-Bab as completely liberated, and we...