Turkish planes bomb al-Qaeda-linked convoy in Syria

Strike said to come in retaliation for mortar fire that spilled over border as Islamist terrorists clashed with rebel fighters

Illustrative photo of Islamic State fighters in Syria, January 14, 2014 (photo credit: AP/militant website)
Illustrative photo of Islamic State fighters in Syria, January 14, 2014 (photo credit: AP/militant website)

Turkish warplanes on Wednesday bombed a convoy carrying fighters belonging to an al-Qaeda-linked group operating in eastern Syria, Turkish and Western media reported.

According to Turkish website Today’s Zaman, the Turkish armed forces “struck a number of vehicles… after militants opened fire on a military outpost on Turkey-Syria border.”

It added that Turkish tanks and artillery opened fire on a bus and several vehicles carrying fighters belonging to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist group active in Syria.

Three vehicles — a pick-up truck, a lorry and a bus — were destroyed in the attack, which targeted ISIL positions in northern Syria, Reuters reported.

According to the report, the attack came in retaliation for cross-border mortar fire from Syria Tuesday. The mortars landed in Turkish territory as ISIL fighters clashed with Free Syrian Army rebels in northern Syria.

The Turkish army did not immediately comment on the report.

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