IS conflict: 14 Turkish soldiers dead in worst day's loss yet Published duration 21 December 2016

image copyright Reuters image caption The Turkish army began its Syria operation in August

Fourteen Turkish soldiers have been killed in fierce fighting against so-called Islamic State in Syria, the Turkish army said.

Wednesday's clashes happened in the town of al-Bab, which Turkey is helping rebels take from IS control.

A further 33 Turkish soldiers were reported wounded.

It is the Turkish military's biggest loss in a single day since launching its military operation in Syria in August.

The army said IS used multiple suicide bombs, with 138 IS fighters killed in the fighting. This toll could not be verified independently.

As another key Syrian battleground - Aleppo - appears close to coming fully under Syrian government control , the fight for al-Bab has intensified.

The strategic town - which is about 20km (12 miles) from the Turkish border - has been the focus of the four-month Turkish offensive, aimed at pushing back IS and Kurdish forces.

Turkey says its military operation has wrought heavy losses on IS and that it is close to breaking the group's resistance in al-Bab, the BBC's Middle East analyst, Sebastian Usher says.