US warplanes launch first strikes from Turkey against Islamic State targets in Syria

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In this image provided by the US Air Force, an F-16 takes off from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey, as the US on Wednesday launched its first airstrikes by Turkey-based jets against Islamic State targets in Syria. Photo: AP

Published: 2:30pm, 13 Aug 2015Updated: 9:54pm, 13 Aug 2015

US warplanes have carried out their first air strikes on Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria after taking off from a Turkish base, kicking off a key new phase in the campaign against the jihadists.

A US drone had last week executed a single lethal air strike against an IS target in Syria but Wednesday’s raids were the first carried out by manned US fighter jets. They took off from Turkey’s strategically-located Incirlik base.

Turkey is currently pressing a two-pronged “anti-terror” offensive against IS jihadists in Syria and Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants in northern Iraq and southeast Turkey following a wave of attacks inside the country.

But until now the Turkish air strikes have overwhelmingly concentrated on the separatist Kurdish rebels, to the frustration of Western commentators who want to see Turkey ramp up its involvement in the fight against IS.

F-16 Fighting Falcons from Aviano Air Base, Italy as they arrive at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey to help operations against the Islamic State group. Photo: AFP

Using the Incirlik base outside the city of Adana in southern Turkey drastically cuts the distance needed for the US jets to fly to northern Syria compared with other launch bases further afield in the Middle East.

“Today, the United States began flying manned counter-ISIL missions from Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Strikes were conducted,” Pentagon spokeswoman Commander Elissa Smith said.