Turkey on Monday deployed 35 armoured vehicles, including at least a dozen tanks, to enforce its border with Syria as Islamic State forces advanced on a Syrian city near the border.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the move came when at least two Islamic State mortar rounds fell on Turkish territory, after which Turkish troops returned fire.
On the same day at least 20 Islamic State shells reportedly fell on and around the northern Syrian town of Kobani, killing at least three civilians.
A fighter jet, most likely part of the U.S.-led coalition, flew over the city for around half an hour but did not carry out any airstrikes.
In the past week, at least 160,000 Syrian refugees have crossed the border into Turkey, where more are reportedly waiting to cross. Turkey has called for creating a buffer zone to help civilians in Syria.
Reports suggest that 80 percent of the population of Kobani has already fled the town.
The United Nations said it is making plans in case the entire population of Kobani, estimated at 400,000 people, flees into Turkey in the face of the Islamic State’s advance.
Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday the position of the country has changed and that it plans to join the coalition led by the United States against the ISlamic State.
“We will hold discussions with our relevant institutions this week. We will definitely be where we need to be," Erdogan was quoted by AFP as saying.
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