(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) ISTANBUL, Aug 24 (KUNA) -- A military operation has been launched into Syria with the aim of putting an end to frequent attacks targeting Turkey, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday.
In a speech in the capital Ankara, the Turkish President said that the operation in the border town of Jarablus, dubbed, "Euphrates Shield", is targeting the so-called Islamic State (IS) militants and the Kurdish PYD Party, pointing to the presence of "terrorist elements" in the area.
Moreover, he noted that Turkey has become stronger after the failed military coup, as he underscored that the country will not close its borders to Syrian refugees.
The Turkish President vowed that Ankara would spare no effort to protect Syria and uphold its unity.
Turkish special forces, tank units and jets, backed by the US-led Coalition, crossed into Syria early Wednesday to try to drive IS from the border with Syria in the country's first military operation since a failed coup in July. (end) ta.nam