Davutoglu: Turkish artillery hits ISIS positions in Iraq, Syria
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ANKARA - Turkish tanks and artillery attacked the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the suicide bombing in Istanbul that killed 10 tourists, Turkey's prime minister said Thursday - the country's first significant strike against the Islamic extremists in months.
Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said some 200 extremists had been killed over the past 48 hours in Turkey's offensive against ISIS along the Syria-Turkish border and near a Turkish camp in northern Iraq. He did not rule out possible airstrikes against the group, although a day earlier he said Russia was obstructing Turkey's ability to conduct airstrikes against IS in Syria.
The Turkish leader said Ankara acted after determining that ISIS was responsible for the "heinous" suicide bombing Tuesday in Istanbul's main tourist district, just steps away from the landmark Blue Mosque. All of the dead were German tourists.
Turkish officials say the bomber, a Syrian born in 1988, was affiliated with the Islamic State group and entered Turkey by posing as a refugee. Interior Minister Efkan Ala said seven people had been detained in connection with the bombing.
