ISIS Positions Attacked By Turkish Warplanes

A day after a Turkish soldier was killed by ISIS at the border of Turkey and Syria, ISIS positions were subjected to bombing runs by Turkish warplanes. Turkish authorities said ISIS targets inside Syria were bombed by three Turkish F-16s based in an airbase in southeastern Turkey.

Turkey decided to attack ISIS positions inside Syria after a national security meeting headed by Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Thursday. Earlier in the day, ISIS militants approached the border before firing at the border unit of Turkey. One soldier was killed while two others were wounded. Turkey initially responded to the firefight with artillery fire.

While positions inside Syria were targeted by the Turkish military in the past, they were merely responding to incoming fire coming from Syria. The incursion of Turkey into Syria was the first time the country used fighter planes in striking ISIS positions.

A statement from the office of the Turkish Prime Minister revealed that two bases along with a gathering point were attacked by the Turkish warplanes. Intelligence reports identified the targets, indicating the area showed signed of a weapons buildup.

Turkish Warplanes Strike ISIS - image credit: en.wikipedia.org

While the mission of the fighter jets were completed, a Turkish official said future airstrikes were not ruled out. The official said they are committed in removing threats to the national security of Turkey. The attack was based on a previously-passed resolution of the Turkish parliament that allowed the military to attack targets inside Syria.

The airstrike follows reports of a provisional agreement allowing increased US and coalition access to airbases inside Turkey. The agreement provides the coalition the access it wanted to get in dealing with ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

The airstrike by the Turkish warplanes follows a suicide bombing in Suruc that killed at least thirty-one people on Monday. Suruc is a Turkish town located close to its border with Syria. The attack targeted Kurdish activists requesting additional assistance in rebuilding the Syrian city of Kobani. Kobani was heavily affected by intense fighting between ISIS and Kurdish forces last fall.

Davutoglu said initial results of an investigation in the bombing in Suruc revealed possible ISIS involvement. The investigation in the bombing has yet to be finalized.

Two-hundred fifty-one people were arrested by Turkish authorities following a massive operation in thirteen provinces. Authorities revealed that among those arrested were members of different organizations, including the Kurdistan Workers’ Party and ISIS.

Posted by James Fried on Friday July 24 2015, 10:22 AM EDT. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0