U.S. drone hits Syria in first lethal strike launched from Turkey

The United States has conducted its first drone strike into northern Syria from a base in Turkey, the Pentagon said on Aug. 5, ahead of what Ankara said would soon be a "comprehensive battle" against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants there. 

A spokesman in Washington said the raid by an unmanned drone was launched on Aug. 3 from the ?ncirlik air base near the southern city of Adana in Turkey, a U.S. ally with the second largest armed forces in NATO.

Preparations were underway for strikes inside Syria by manned U.S. warplanes. 

Until recently, only reconaissance drones flew missions from ?ncirlik. 

But Turkey formally agreed to open its air bases to U.S. and coalition strike aircraft last month, a major policy change after years of reluctance to take a frontline role against the Islamist fighters pressing on its borders. 

Ankara and Washington have been working on plans to provide air cover for a group of U.S.-trained Syrian rebels and jointly sweep ISIL from a strip of territory stretching about 80 km (50 miles) along the Turkish frontier. 

"As part of our agreement with the U.S. we have made progress regarding the opening up of our bases, particularly Incirlik," Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu earlier told state broadcaster TRT, referring to a major air base near the southern city of Adana. 

"We're seeing that manned and unmanned American planes are arriving and soon we will launch a comprehensive battle against Islamic State all together," he said during a trip to Malaysia. 

Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem was quoted by state television on Aug. 5 as saying Syria supported efforts to combat ISIL provided they were coordinated with Damascus. 

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