Turkish Armed Forces fired across the border at the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, inside Syria immediately after five members of the terrorist organization shot and killed a Turkish soldier on Thursday, according to a statement for the Chief of Turkish General Staff.
The statement said one ISIL terrorist was killed and their three vehicles were damaged after fierce clashes with Turkish military, backed by tanks.
The gunfire targeted the soldiers during their patrol at the borderline of Elbeyli district in the Kilis Province. Initial reports claimed the fire came from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL,-controlled area of the Syrian part of the border.
Turkey sent its troops into Syria in reprisal of the hostile fire, which was opened from an ISIL-held area.
Troops have been shelling Al-Rai village, which is currently controlled by the ISIL terror network. One ISIL terrorist has reportedly been killed in the exchange of fire.
F-16 jet fighters also took off from the Diyarbakır airbase after the Turkish military entered Syrian territory.
The latest attack on the Turkish security forces came hours after another attack by the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, in Diyarbakır which killed a police officer and wounded another.
The injured police officers were taken to the Medical Science Faculty's Hospital in Diyarbakır, immediately after the firearm attack in the Yenişehir district.
“One of the injured cops died in the intensive care unit of the hospital, despite frantic efforts made by the medics. Another cop has remained in the hospital for further treatment," Diyarbakır governor Hüseyin Aksoy said.
Police launched a security operation to seize the assailants, who escaped from the scene immediately after the attack. The operation has been backed by a helicopter and armored vehicles.
Earlier reports said that three assailants, including a woman, attacked the police officers.
The terrorist PKK members had also killed two police officers at their home in Ceylanpinar on the Syrian border on July 22.
Meanwhile, Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu chaired a special security meeting with cabinet members and top commanders of Turkish security forces, including Chief of General Staff Necdet Özel. After the meeting at the prime ministry in Ankara Davutoğlu met with Hakan Fidan, the head of the Turkish National Intelligence Agency, to discuss the latest developments across the border.
