Explainer: Turkey's operation Euphrates Shield
The Turkish incursion into Syria strengthened the hand of the Free Syrian Army and cut the link the Kurdish forces were hoping to establish between their cantons.
The main target of the Turkish army and its FSA allies has been the city of Jarablus about 125 km west of the Euphrates River.
Jarablus is close to the Turkish border and located northeast of Aleppo.
Backed by Turkish forces the FSA rebels managed to retake Jarablus on August 24, after two years of ISIS control.
The Turkish army and FSA continue to fight ISIS and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) at the same time.
Arabs and Turkmen make up the main bulk of the FSA. They number more than 2,400 fighters.
More than seven different rebel forces are within the FSA. Some of them are criticized for sharing the same extremist ideologies as ISIS.
Turkish jets and gunship helicopters bomb ISIS and SDF positions before the FSA advance on land.
Nearly 400 Turkish soldiers and special forces have been deployed on this mission, backed by tanks and heavy artillery.
Part of the Turkish aim is to stop the advances of the SDF and Kurdish YPG forces west of the Euphrates.
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