U.S. Sends 6 Jets, 300 Personnel to Turkish Base in Fight Against ISIS

Six U.S. Air Force jets and 300 military personnel arrived at a Turkish airbase Sunday, following Turkey’s decision to host American aircraft in the fight against ISIS, according to a Pentagon statement.

 

Senior defense officials told NBC News that the F-16 Falcons stationed at Turkey’s Incirlik base will begin air patrols “within a few days.”

 

The U.S. started launching airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq just a little more than a year ago and armed drones at Incirlik have already been conducting airstrikes against ISIS and al Nusra forces in Syria. But manned aircraft fighting ISIS have previously been flown from the Persian Gulf — hundreds of miles away from ISIS targets in Syria. Incirlik is just a little more than 100 miles from the Syrian border.

 

Read More: U.S. Sends 6 Jets, 300 Personnel to Turkish Base in Fight Against ISIS – NBC News