Turkish soldier killed in cross-border ISIS clash

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region- A Turkish soldier was killed and another is missing following cross-border fire from Islamic State-held territory in Syria, according to France24 news agency.

The soldier died in the hospital following the incident in the border town of Kilis, in Turkey, where shots were fired from ISIS-strongholds in Syria, the Turkish Armed Forces said in a statement on Tuesday.

“We have lost contact with one of the soldiers during the clashes and an operation is underway to find him,” the army said.

The Turkish military has not provided details of who fired the shots, but Kilis Governor Suleyman Tapsiz reported that a group of people tried to reach Turkey from the Syrian border and opened fire on the soldiers. 

On August 28, Turkish fighter jets carried out their first airstrikes against the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in neighboring Syria, said the Foreign Ministry in a statement.

Ankara said that it targeted ISIS positions that posed a security threat to Turkey.

Recently, Turkey reached an agreement with the United States to integrate its air force into the broad coalition campaign flying out of the Incirlik Airbase on their bombing missions against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.