A Free Syrian Army fighter covers his ears as he fires a mortar launcher at IS jihadists on the outskirts of Dabiq. Pic/AFP

Beirut: Turkish-backed rebels captured the emblematic northern Syrian town of Dabiq from the Islamic State yesterday, dealing a major symbolic blow to the jihadists. The defeat for IS came as US Secretary of State John Kerry was due to meet European allies in London as part of a new diplomatic push to end Syria’s conflict, which has left more than 3 lakh people dead since 2011.