Turkish parliament votes approval of military action against Islamic State

Turkey’s parliament Thursday authorised military action in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State jihadist group, whose fighters have battled their way to the doorstep of a key Kurdish border town. The move allows the deployment of Turkish armed forces in the two neighbouring countries, as well as the transit of foreign forces in Turkish territory for operations against Islamic State (IS) militants. The broad mandate does not commit Turkey to sending soldiers into Syria and Iraq, where IS has captured large areas, declaring an Islamic “caliphate” and committing widespread atrocities.

There are real fears that the IS may be able to advance into the town of Kobane itself very soon.

Syrian Observatory for Human Rights

In Iraq, IS launched attacks on two police and army bases that left dozens dead, mostly militants. It came as Kurdish militiamen backed by U.S.-led air strikes were locked in fierce fighting to prevent the besieged Syrian border town of Kobane from falling to IS. Heavy mortar fire around the town was heard across the Turkish border. The Britain-based watchdog reported fresh U.S.-led air strikes on the advancing jihadists overnight after the heavily outgunned Kurdish fighters were forced to fall back west and southeast of the town, also known as Ain al-Arab. A Kurdish official inside Kobane acknowledged that the better-armed IS fighters had advanced during the night.

World