Turkey launches attack on IS targets in Syria

Turkish warplanes struck Islamic State (IS) targets across the border in Syria, government officials said, a day after IS militants fired at a Turkish military outpost, killing a soldier.

The bombing is a strong tactical shift for Turkey which had long been reluctant to join the US-led coalition against the extremist group.

Three F-16 jets took off from Diyarbakir airbase in south-east Turkey and used smart bombs to hit three IS targets, a government official said. The targets were two command centres and a gathering point of IS supporters.

Turkish media said the targets were the Syrian village of Havar, near the border, but officials would not confirm the location.

The private Dogan news agency said as many as 35 IS militants were killed in the airstrike.

A government statement said the decision for the operation was taken at a security meeting on Thursday, held after five IS militants fired from Syrian territory at the outpost, prompting Turkish retaliation that killed at least one IS militant. The official said the planes did not violate Syrian airspace.

The bombing followed a decision by Turkey this week to allow the US military to use the key Incirlik air base near the Syrian border to launch airstrikes against the Islamic State, senior US officials said.