Turkey to use US rocket system

Ankara — Turkey has struck a deal with the United States to deploy American light multiple rocket launchers on its border with Syria to combat the Daesh group, according to the foreign ministry.

The High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) “will be deployed on the Turkish border in May as part of an agreement” with Washginton, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in an interview published on Tuesday.

The system is being brought in “so we will be able to hit Daesh targets more effectively,” he told the Haberturk newspaper.

Turkey, a member of US-led coalition against the Daesh group, has increased its strikes in Syria after a series of deadly attacks on its soil blamed on the militants.

Ankara also allows US jets to use its air base in southern Turkey for air bombardments on the extremist group.

In recent weeks, the Turkish border town of Kilis has come under frequent attack from rockets fired across the border, prompting the army to respond with howitzer fire.

Cavusoglu said HIMARS would allow Turkey to hit IS positions within a 90-kilometre range, while Turkish artillery has a more limited range of 40 kilometres.

The aim is to gain control of the so-called Manbij Gap, a backdoor border route favoured by Daesh for smuggling militants into Syria.