Turkish artillery, US drones kill 34 ISIS militants in northern Syria
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Turkish artillery and drones belonging to the US-led coalition targeted Islamic State (ISIS) positions in northern Syria, killing an estimated 34 of the militants, the Turkish Army said on Monday.
Turkey's howitzer artillery guns and rocket launchers bombarded ISIS targets south of the border while unmanned American drones flying from Turkey's Incirlik air base hit other targets on Sunday.
The Turkish military has found it difficult to hit moving ISIS militant targets with artillery and hasn't relied on airstrikes for retaliation, over fears their jet fighters might be targeted by Russian military forces in Syria.
In addition to carrying out drone strikes against ISIS in northwestern Syria the US plans to deploy advanced High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in southeastern Turkey in May to more effectively target ISIS positions south of the border, according to Turkish officials.
These strikes were all in response to continued ISIS rocketing of Turkey's southeastern frontier province of Kilis. The latest such attack on Sunday wounded seven people. Since mid-January ISIS rocket attacks on Kilis have killed an estimated 18 people and wounded 60.
Turkey's howitzer artillery guns and rocket launchers bombarded ISIS targets south of the border while unmanned American drones flying from Turkey's Incirlik air base hit other targets on Sunday.
The Turkish military has found it difficult to hit moving ISIS militant targets with artillery and hasn't relied on airstrikes for retaliation, over fears their jet fighters might be targeted by Russian military forces in Syria.
In addition to carrying out drone strikes against ISIS in northwestern Syria the US plans to deploy advanced High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in southeastern Turkey in May to more effectively target ISIS positions south of the border, according to Turkish officials.
These strikes were all in response to continued ISIS rocketing of Turkey's southeastern frontier province of Kilis. The latest such attack on Sunday wounded seven people. Since mid-January ISIS rocket attacks on Kilis have killed an estimated 18 people and wounded 60.