BEIRUT (AP) – Turkey’s defense ministry says it has taken control of a strategic highway in its offensive against Syrian Kurdish fighters.
The ministry tweeted Sunday that the M-4 highway, which runs across northeastern Syria, was under its control after Turkish troops and allied Syrian forces reached 30 to 35 kilometers (18-22 miles) deep inside Syria.
Turkey considers the Syrian Kurdish militias to be terrorists, and says it is aiming to push the fighters away from Turkey’s borders for national security.
The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces were a key U.S. ally in the war against the Islamic State group. The Turkish operation was launched Wednesday after President Donald Trump moved U.S. forces aside.
The United Nations says at least 130,000 people have been displaced by the fighting in northeastern Syria. Many more are likely on the move as a Turkish offensive in the area enters its fifth day.
