Turkish tanks crossed the Syrian border in the early hours of Wednesday as part of a military operation against terrorist Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) targets in the Syrian city of Jarabulus.
The joint operation of Turkish military and coalition forces, called “Euphrates Shield,” started with artillery strikes and rocket shelling at 4 a.m. Turkish time. The Free Syrian Army, which also joined the operation, is reportedly about to enter the village of Keklice in Jarabulus, which sits on the border with Turkey.
Certain parts of Gaziantep province of Turkey have been declared special security zones due to the military strike.
Military sources told Turkish media that the operation, which has hit 63 targets so far, aims to provide border security, support coalition forces in the anti-ISIL campaign and protect the territorial integrity of Syria.
Meanwhile, a Syrian Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) spokesperson said that Turkey’s intervention is “an act of blatant aggression.”