Beirut: Syrian rebels backed by Turkey seized several villages from Islamic State near the town of al-Rai, from where the rebel groups launched a new operation against the jihadists earlier on Saturday, a rebel official said.


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"They took several villages, about eight villages. At first they took two and withdrew from them, but then reinforcements came and there was an advance," Zakaria Malahifji of the Aleppo-based Fastaqim group told Reuters.


The areas seized were to the east and south of al-Rai, which is 2 km (1 mile) from the Turkish border.