Turkish tanks cross border into Syria - military sources

A Turkish army tank and an armoured vehicle are stationed near the Turkish-Syrian border in Karkamis in the southeastern Gaziantep province, Turkey, August 23, 2016. Orhan Erkilic/Ihlas News Agency via REUTERS

KARKAMIS, Turkey (Reuters) - Turkish tank units on Wednesday crossed the border and entered into Syria as part of a military operation backed by jets and U.S.-led coalition warplanes to clear Islamic State from the Syrian border town of Jarablus, Turkish military sources said. A Reuters reporter at the border could see six Turkish tanks inside Syria and reported intense bombardments. Turkish jets and artillery have been carrying out shelling and airstrikes since Wednesday morning on Islamic State targets. Turkish-backed Syrian rebel forces have also entered Syria from Turkey as part of the operation to take back the town from Islamic State forces, a Syrian rebel commander told Reuters. (Reporting by Ayla Jean Yackley; writing by Patrick Markey; Editing by David Dolan)