Four Turkmen commanders killed in ISIL suicide attack near Turkey border

KİLİS – Anadolu Agency

Dozens of Turkmen families crossed a mine field and crossed the border into Turkey after escaping clashes between rebel groups and ISIL. DHA photo

Four Turkmen commanders have been killed in an attack claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in a town near the border of Turkey.

Clashes have been ongoing between ISIL and Syrian Turkmen groups for more than ten days around the Çobanbey town in Aleppo, a Turkmen populated town. The town has been captured by ISIL militants recently and they offered to negotiate with Turkmens to settle the dispute. 

A militant blew himself up during the meeting with the Turkmen group and four Turkmen commanders have been killed. The Turkish army said last week it had opened fire on a convoy of vehicles in northern Syria belonging to ISIL.

The army said the attack, carried out Jan. 28, came after two Turkish military vehicles had been fired upon at the Çobanbey border post near the southeastern town of Kilis.

The incident is the first pitting Turkey against the Syrian jihadist group that has been fighting forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, as well as fellow rebel groups in the north of the country since January.