Turkey Takes Another Step Towards Direct Intervention in Syria

Thursday evening saw another dramatic escalation in the multi-faceted conflict in Syria, as Turkish tanks and artillery shelled positions held by the Islamic State (IS) terror militia inside Iraqi and Syrian territory, with officials saying the strikes are in response to Tuesday’s suicide bomb attack on a popular tourist destination in Istanbul. The shelling came even as IS was announcing that it claims responsibility for the deadly attack in Jakarta, Indonesia Thursday morning. Attacks carried out by IS and others claiming to have been inspired by IS have struck in several countries over the last two years.