Turkish artillery forces strike IS targets in Syria

The Turkish artillery forces has hit the Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria on Monday.

Sixty artillery rounds were reportedly fired by the military on the IS targets in the north of Aleppo as part of the US-led coalition's operation against the terrorist group, Xinhua cited local broadcaster NTV as saying.

Five targets were destroyed by the shells launched from the military units located near the southern Kilis province.

Turkish air forces earlier participated in four airstrikes of the anti-IS coalition in Syria, while this is Turkish first artillery action with the allied forces.

Turkish air forces were absent from the recent airstrikes in order to avoid any confrontation with Russia because the two countries are at odds since Turkey shot down a Russian warplane on November 24 last year.

Russia has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria since September 30 in a bid to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government.