Turkey carries out first airstrikes as part of anti-ISIL coalition

Fighter jets began attacking ISIl targets across the border in Syria that were deemed to be threats to Turkey late on Friday.

Fighters from ISIL ride tanks during a parade in their Syrian stronghold of Raqqa last June. Raqqa Media Center/AP

ANKARA // Turkey announced on Saturday that its fighter jets have carried out their first airstrikes as part of the US-led coalition against ISIL in Syria.

A foreign ministry statement said the jets began attacking ISIL targets late on Friday across the border in Syria that were deemed to be threats to Turkey.

After months of hesitance, Turkey agreed last month to take on a more active role in the fight against ISIL. Turkish jets used smart bombs to attack ISIL positions in Syria, without crossing into Syrian airspace and later Turkey granted US jets access to a key air base close to the Syrian border.

The Turkish attacks that began on Friday were the first launched as part of the US-led campaign and came after Turkish and US officials announced they had reached a technical agreement concerning their cooperation, which calls for Turkey to be fully integrated into the coalition air campaign.

“Our fighter aircraft together with warplanes belonging to the coalition began as of yesterday (Friday) evening to jointly carry out air operations against Daesh targets that constitute a threat against the security of our country,” the foreign ministry said. “The fight against the terrorist organization is a priority for Turkey.”

On Thursday, ISIL militants seized five villages from rebel groups in northern Syria as they advanced toward the strategic town of Marea near the Turkish border. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other groups said ISIL carried out a suicide bombing on the outskirts of Marea amid fierce fighting in the area.

The ISIL advance was in the northern Aleppo province near where Turkey and the US have agreed to establish an ISIL-free safe zone.

Also on Saturday, a truce between Syrian regime forces and rebel groups in three key towns ended as the warring parties resumed clashes and shelling, a monitor and a mediator said.

Pro-regime forces, including Hizbollah, agreed on a 48-hour ceasefire until dawn on Saturday in the rebel bastion of Zabadani and the government-held villages of Foua and Kafraya.

“The ceasefire has collapsed in Zabadani, Foua, and Kfarya this morning,” said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

A Kfarya resident said “dozens of shells have fallen on the town since early morning”.

Mr Abdel Rahman said “there are clashes and shelling in Zabadani, and opposition fighters are shelling Foua and Kfarya”.

He had no details on who began firing and whether there were any casualties.

Foua and Kfarya, the last two regime-held villages in Syria’s north-west Idlib province, have been surrounded by a rebel alliance including Al Qaeda’s affiliate Al Nusra Front.

The siege came in retaliation for a fierce offensive on Zabadani, along Syria’s border with Lebanon, by pro-regime forces early last month.

Warring parties were negotiating to reach a broader deal including rebel fighters leaving Zabadani and the evacuation of civilians from Foua and Kfarya, whose residents are minority Shiites.

But the talks failed overnight.

The resumption of hostilities was confirmed by Mohammad Abu Qassem, secretary general of Syria’s Tadamun Party who was mediating the truce.

“The truce has ended, the negotiations have failed, and military operations have resumed in Zabadani, Foua, and Kfarya,” he said.

This marks the second time a ceasefire for the three towns collapse this month.

The rebels had also sought the release of prisoners held by the regime.

Syria’s multi-front war has seen ongoing fighting among regime forces, Kurdish militia, rebel groups, and militants including ISIL.

ISIL militants have clashed with government forces, Kurdish fighters, and rebel groups.

More than 240,000 people have been killed since Syria’s conflict began in March 2011, and half of the country’s population has been displaced by the war.

* Agence France-Presse