Ankara: Fourteen Islamic State fighters were "neutralised" in Syria as part of Turkish-backed operations against the jihadist group, the state-run Anadolu news agency said on Wednesday.


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Turkish armed forces also hit 163 IS targets in northern Syria over the past 24 hours, Anadolu said, citing a Turkish armed forces general staff statement. 


Turkish jets destroyed 21 buildings, one bomb-laden vehicle and one IS headquarters near the towns of al-Bab and Bzagah in Aleppo province, Anadolu quoted the statement as adding.


Turkey launched its `Euphrates Shield` operation in late August last year to sweep the Sunni hardliners and Kurdish fighters from its Syrian border using Free Syrian Army rebels and Turkish artillery backed by Turkish jets. 


Russian warplanes began taking part in the air raids last month. 


More than 1,300 IS militants have been killed since the operation began, the Turkish armed forces general staff stated on 6 January.