Turkey-backed FSA destroys Daesh tunnels in Syria

Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters have destroyed as many as five tunnels, excavated by the Daesh terrorist organization, in Daesh-controlled town of al-Bab, Syria, as a part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield.

The tunnels were being used to prepare explosives to conduct suicide bombings.

"In the last 10 days, these tunnels were used for the preparation of eight suicide bombings," Saffah Bridgades Commander Abu Emin told Turkey's Yeni Şafak daily.

"There are still a large number of tunnels that should be destroyed immediately," he added.

The Daesh tunnels in the region have a strategic significance as the terrorists use them for human, weapons and ammunition transfers and to protect themselves from Turkish shelling.

The Turkish military has been surrounding al-Bab for weeks as part of the ongoing Operation Euphrates Shield, which marks its 172th day on Saturday.

Since the operation's launch, 3,719 handmade explosives and 57 mines have been neutralized in controlled conditions.

The Turkish-led operation, aided by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), was launched in late August to improve security, support coalition forces and eliminate the threat of terror along the Turkish-Syrian border.

Operation Euphrates Shield has cleared a total of 227 residential areas along northern Syria's Azaz-Jarabulus corridor, which runs parallel the Turkish border.