Turkey carries out first ever strikes against Isis in Syria
Bombing of Isis positions is tactical shift after deadly terrorist attacks and comes as Turkey allows US-led coalition to use its southern airbases
Turkish fighter jets have struck Islamic State targets in Syria and the government has rounded up hundreds of suspected militants in a coordinated crackdown, as the country deployed military force for the first time against the terrorist group.
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The bombing is a major tactical shift for Turkey, which has long been reluctant to follow the US-led coalition in taking military action against Isis.
The office of the acting prime minister, Ahmet Davutoğlu, said Turkish F-16 warplanes based in Diyarbakır had attacked three Isis targets with guided bombs at dawn on Friday, including what it described as the group’s headquarters and an assembly point. Nine Isis fighters were killed and 12 injured in the attacks, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Late on Friday, local broadcaster NTV reported that Turkish fighter jets had re-entered Syrian airspace to launch a further attack on Isis targets as night fell.
A Turkish official could not confirm the report of the evening attack, although another broadcaster, CNN Turk, also reported that jets had again entered Syrian airspace.
Turkey is also to allow the US-led coalition to use its Incirlik airbase and other bases in the south of the country to conduct strikes against Isis, the foreign ministry said on Friday. The announcement marks a reversal of policy that follows a cross-border attack by the militants that killed a Turkish soldier, and a suicide bombing this week that killed 32 people in the southern province of Suruç, just a few miles from the Syrian border.
more:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/24/turkish-jets-carry-out-strikes-against-isis-in-syria-reports
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