Turkish army says its forces clear militants more villages in Syria

Turkish army tanks make their way towards the Syrian border town of Jarablus, Syria August 24, 2016. Revolutionary Forces of Syria Media Office/Handout via REUTERS

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish-backed forces have cleared militants from 10 more villages in north Syria, Turkey's military said on Monday during a cross-border Turkish campaign that has captured a string of settlements south of the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus. The army statement added that operations were now shifting to a more western region of northern Syria, where Turkish-backed forces previously said they had taken control of a few villages. The statement did not say who the militants were. Turkey, which is fighting a Kurdish insurgency at home, has said its aim is to drive away Islamic State and prevent Kurdish militia from seizing the territory. (Reporting by Orhan Coskun and Ece Toksabay; Writing by David Dolan; Editing by Edmund Blair)