Turkey and its rebel allies opened up a new line of attack in northern Syria on Saturday as Turkish tanks crossed the frontier from Kilis province, making a western thrust in an operation to sweep opposing fighters from its border. Turkey apparently hopes to push out ISIS forces and prevent the advance of US-backed Kurds.
The private Dogan news agency reported at least 20 tanks and five armored personnel carriers crossed at the Turkish border town of Elbeyli, across from the Syrian rebel-held town of al-Rai. The new incursion is unfolding about 55 kilometers (34 miles) west of Jarablus, where Turkish forces first crossed into Syria 10 days ago.
A spokesman for one of Turkish-backed Syrian factions said 100 Turkish troops accompanied 30 tanks across the border, linking up with the rebels at al-Rai. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk about the Turkish troops.
According to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Turkey-backed rebels also took control of three villages close to the border on Saturday, two on the Jarabulus front and one on the new al-Rai front.
Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman said that "they are trying to take control of the border area between Jarabulus and Rai from ISIS".
(AFP contributed to this report.)