The Turkish military bombarded Islamic State (ISIS) targets in Syria's Aleppo region with artillery on Monday. Turkey's Anadolu news reported that the artillery was directed against ISIS gun positions, vehicles mounted with rocket launchers and a headquarters in the area. In total some 40 positions were hit and at least fifty artillery shells fired over the border. Turkey is a member of the American-led coalition against ISIS and its Incirlik airbase in the southeastern frontier province of Adana is used as a launchpad by coalition drones and jets. A ceasefire was introduced in Syria on Saturday and despite various violations remained largely intact on Monday. Islamic State and Jabhat al-Nusra are excluded from the ceasefire. Turkey had recently argued that the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), an American ally against ISIS in Syria, should also be excluded. It has in recent weeks been targeting them with their artillery bombardments in an attempt to halt their advance against opposition groups in northwestern Syria. Turkey didn't join the coalition against ISIS when it was formed in late 2014 but later in July 2015 when one of its border guards were attacked by ISIS. However since then it has been criticized for focusing overwhelmingly on militarily engaging the Kurdistan Workers Party.
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