A total of 31 members of the terrorist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) were killed on Syrian soil in a joint effort by Turkey’s howitzer attacks from behind the border and a series of airstrikes by the coalition led by the United States (US).
According to security sources, 33 ISIS targets in Syria were hit by the Turkish military after intelligence was received that the terrorist group was preparing shelling attacks on southeastern Turkey from across the Syrian border. Turkey used Fırtına (Storm) in the operation, which is a type of locally-produced 155mm self-propelled howitzer.
The targets included five vehicles carrying Katyusha missiles, three buildings and three shelling positions used by the ISIS. Preliminary reports say that 31 ISIS members have been killed so far.
In the meantime, the coalition aircraft carried out nine airstrikes, five over the Jakka village and four over the Dudian village.
ISIS missiles have been hitting the southeastern border of Turkey in the recent months. More than 50 rockets have been fired on the southeastern city of Kilis from ISIS-held territories between October 2015 and January 2016, leaving 16 people dead and injuring 50 others. In January, a rocket fired by ISIS hit a mosque near the Kilis Governor’s Office, killing one and injuring 10 others.