Kurdish militants hit

ISTANBUL/BEIRUT: Turkish warplanes bombed Kurdish militants in Iraq’s Sinjar region and in north-eastern Syria yesterday, killing at least 18 fighters and officials in a widening campaign against groups affiliated with the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party.

The air strikes targeted the YPG – a key component of the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are backed by the US and have been closing in on the Islamic State (IS) bastion of Raqqa. The operation showed some of the challenges facing the US-led campaign against IS in Syria.