‘Turkish artillery fire killed 17 IS militants’

Turkey wants to play a bigger role in the Iraqi-led offensive against the jihadists in Mosul, but Iraq’s Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Saturday declined an offer from Ankara to take part. Speaking at a joint news conference with his visiting French counterpart, Cavusoglu also said Turkey will be more active in fighting the Kurdish PKK militant group in Iraq. 

Turkey’s military struck dozens of Islamic State and Kurdish YPG militia targets in Syria over the last 24 hours, depriving both groups of the ability to move around, the army said on Monday, as its operation there entered a third month. 

In the latest moves in the operation, dubbed “Euphrates Shield”, strikes by “fire support vehicles” hit 27 IS targets and 19 belonging to the YPG, leaving both groups “without manoeuvring capacity”, the written statement said.