MESOP TODAY’S SUMMARY SYRA (CLICK LINK FOR MORE)

 MESOP TODAY’S SUMMARY SYRA (CLICK LINK FOR MORE)

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights has reported several airstrikes in Syria near the Turkish and Iraqi borders. Witnesses said warplanes carried out raids about 20 miles west of the city of Kobani (Ayn al-Arab) where an Islamic State offensive last week forced over 130,000 Syrian Kurds to flee to Turkey. Neither the United States nor its allies have confirmed the attacks near the Turkish border however the U.S. led coalition conducted over 200 strikes on Tuesday, targeting training camps and control centers.

U.S. officials said they believe some leaders of the Islamic State and al Qaeda linked Khorasan group may have been killed in the strikes. U.S. military leaders said the airstrikes were the beginning of a prolonged campaign that could take years. British parliamentarians are expected to be recalled to debate Prime Minister David Cameron’s proposal to join the United States in conducting strikes against Islamic State militants in Iraq, at the request of the Iraqi government. Cameron has not decided whether Britain would participate in strikes targeting militants in Syria