Turkey Sends Jets into Syrian Airspace to Strike at ISIS; Allows Coalition to Use Airfield

Unconfirmed media reports indicate that while coalition fighter jets launched attacks against targets of the Islamic State (ISIS) from their new homes on Turkish airfields, the Turkish air force flew missions against ISIS in both Syrian and Iraqi airspace over the weekend. Use of Turkish bases by the US-led coalition was a long time in coming while Turkish President Erdogan chided Washington with demands that the Americans join the call for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. Analysts insist that Erdogan’s motivation is also to prevent Syrian Kurds from making any gains and that he should have a fairly free hand to do so as a member of the US-led coalition. While the coalition flew aerial sorties, as many as 5,000 Turkish anti-terror ground troops on Friday night moved against ISIS and Kurdish forces, making hundreds of arrests. On Saturday, ISIS struck back at the town of Tal Abyad, located on the Syrian border and recently re-taken by Kurdish fighters. Trucks laden with explosives were detonated in two locations causing damage and casualties according to monitors.