The Turkish military announced it had killed 25 Kurdish militants of the PYD in northern Syria during airstrikes, as part of its Operation Euphrates Shield. The military campaign, going on for at least five days, has targeted Islamic State (Isis) fighters as well as Kurdish militias.

The 25 Kurdish fighters were killed near Jarablus, a Syrian town on the Syrian-Turkish border, Sky News reported. The Turkish army said it was taking all precautions to avoid killing any civilians in Syria, however, earlier reports claimed at least 35 civilians had been killed and 50 others were injured in the airstrikes.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said 20 people were killed in strikes on Jeb el-Kussa and 15 others were killed in separate strike near al-Amarneh. Four local fighters were also killed in the strikes, according to the UK-based group. However, it is unclear if the two reports are on the same incident.

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey would continue its "operations against terrorist organisations until the end". Erdogan maintained his intention to approve reinstating the death penalty if it was backed by parliament.

Footage by Sky News shows Turkish-backed rebels in Syria firing on Kurdish position and Turkish tanks inside of Syria. According to Sky News, Turkish special forces, tanks and warplanes crossed into Syria last week to join forces with Syrian rebels in a bid to oust IS (Daesh) fighters from Jarablus.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels have retaken control of five villages near Jarablus from IS forces. They have also clashed with the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), a Kurdish militia receiving support from the United States, which is also fighting IS, the BBC reported.

Ankara is keen on stopping Kurdish forces from taking control of a line of territory along the southern Turkish border, Sky News reported. It fears Kurds will establish a corridor to link two Kurdish-led regions in northwestern Syria and provide support to the Kurdish militant group, the PKK, in Turkey.

Turkey's military lost its first soldier of the offensive on Saturday (27 August) when a tank was hit by a rocket. According to the BBC, Turkish authorities have blamed Kurdish militants for the death.

Syria Islamic State Isis