Turkish, US air strikes kill more than 50 Islamic State militants in Syria - agency

Air strikes by Turkish and U.S. aircraft in Syria on Saturday killed more than 50 Islamic State militants and wounded around 30, state-run Anadolu Agency quoted security sources as saying on Sunday.

A senior government official told Reuters on Saturday that Turkish jets had bombed Islamic State targets in Syria, as before Turks prepared to vote in Sunday's parliamentary election.

Six Turkish F-16 jets which took off from the Incirlik base in southern Turkey had been involved in the air strikes between 0900-14000900-1400 GMT on Saturday, as well as a drone belonging to the coalition, Anadolu said.

It said the operation destroyed eight Islamic State targets around 5 km inside the Syrian border near the Turkish province of Kilis. The operation was backed up by Turkmen forces on the ground in Syria, it added.

Turkey vowed to take a more active role in combating Islamic State in July, as part of a multi-pronged offensive which also saw them ramp up attacks on Kurdish militants.

Since then, the Turkish military has primarily concentrated on hitting its old foe, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), although Turkish airbases have also been used by U.S.-led coalition jets to hit IS targets in northern Syria. 

 

 

REUTERS