The Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) has begun its cross-border “Euphrates Shield” operation against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) early on Aug. 24 with aerial strikes and ground forces backed by strikes from rocket launchers, howitzers and tanks.

Below is the timeline of the operation:

4:00 p.m. – Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmuş has described the operation as “a short and results-based operation.”

Kalın added that “all necessary steps” will be taken in order to protect Turkey’s border security and Syria’s territorial integrity.

3:50 p.m. – Sources reported that Turkish tanks in Syrian territories have blocked ISIL’s support routes and Turkish F-16s along with coalition jets have pounded ISIL vehicles headed from the al-Bab region to support ISIL militants fighting in the Jarablus area. Meanwhile some 5,000 Free Syrian Army fighters, including groups from the Sultan Murat Brigade, Sukur al-Jeber, Sham Front and Feylek al-Sham, were reportedly advancing toward central Jarablus.

3:35 p.m. –  Twenty tanks and nearly 20 armored vehicles are advancing toward Jarablus in the operation, aiming to secure control over a 70-kilometer region.

2:20 p.m. – The Free Syrian Army has captured the village of Kıvırcık, the second to be taken so far in the anti-ISIL operation in Jarablus, Doğan News Agency has reported. Three wounded members of the Free Syrian Army have been brought to Gaziantep, near the Syrian border, for treatment.

1:47 p.m. –  Turkish artillery units are also shelling ISIL positions across the border province of Kilis, Doğan News Agency has reported.

11:50 a.m.  – “Syria is the reason why we are exposed to terror both from DAESH and the PYD,” Erdoğan has said.

“We have to solve this issue,” he added.

11:07 a.m. – TSK tanks enter Syrian territory and begin hitting ISIL targets, daily Hürriyet correspondent Uğur Ergan reports.

10:39 a.m. – TSK howitzers and rocket launchers carry out 294 strikes on 81 ISIL targets.

10:30 a.m. – U.S. Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Ankara on Aug. 24 hours after a joint operation by the Turkish military and the coalition forces launched in the ISIL-held Jarablus region in Syria.

9:27 a.m. – Mortar shells fired across the broder from Jarablus by ISIL militants have dropped onto a empty field in central Karkamış. No casualties are reported.

9:05 a.m. – According to military sources, howitzers have directly hit 70 ISIL targets.

8:36 a.m. – The Doğan News Agency live broadcast shows Turkish tanks approaching the Syrian border and passage opening operations reach an end.

8:07 a.m. – According to Reuters Turkish tanks have begun its strikes on ISIL targets.

7:50 a.m. – According to military sources, 12 ISIL targets have been directly hit.

7:48 a.m. – Doğan News Agency reports that Turkish tanks have arrived at the Syrian border.

7:25 a.m. – Some parts of the border province of Gaziantep, from where the operation was initiated, are declared a special security region.

7:15 a.m. – Military sources deny the claims that ground operations have begun and say operations to open passages through the border were still ongoing.

6:30 a.m. – Jarablus is hit by Turkish Armed Forces.

6:10 a.m. – Turkish F-16 jets carry out another operation on ISIL targets.

6:08 a.m. – For the first time since  Nov. 24, 2015, when Turkey downed a Russian jet above Syria, Turkish Armed Forces carry out aerial operations in Syria. They shoot targets that have been designated by ground special forces.

5:55 a.m. – Turkish special forces enter Syria.

5:45 a.m.  – Howitzer and rocket launcher attacks conclude. Until this hour some 224 launches were conducted on 63 targets.

4:05 a.m.  – TSK begin using construction machines to carry out passages through the Turkish-Syrian border from points that been chosen beforehand.

4:00 a.m.  – TSK howitzers and rockets launchers begin to strike at ISIL targets in Jarablus.

Source: hurriyetdailynews.com