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Having cleared the Islamic State (IS) from its border with Syria by leading groups of the Free Syrian Army (FSA), Turkey is now preparing for the next phase of its Euphrates Shield operation, which involves moving south against the IS stronghold of al-Bab.
Turkish military planners were encouraged by the success of wresting the towns of Jarablus and al-Rai from IS with minimum clashes and casualties, but are aware that liberating al-Bab will be a tougher nut to crack and will require cooperation with US forces on the ground and in the air.
