Air Force deploying six F-15E fighter jets in Turkey to attack ISIS

OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM -- F-15E Strike Eagles from the 494th Fighter Squadron, Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, arrive at a forward deployed base in Southwest Asia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Terry L. Blevins)

ANKARA, Turkey — The U.S. military says it has deployed six more fighter jets at Incirlik air base in southern Turkey for operations against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.

The U.S.-European Command said in a statement the six F-15E Strike Eagle jets arrived at Incirlik on Thursday from a base in Britain.

Last week, the U.S. military also sent six F-15C air-to-air combat jets to Incirlik to help defend the Turkish airspace against potential intruders. That deployment came after two Russian warplanes, active inSyria, strayed into Turkish airspace last month, triggering strong condemnations from Turkey and its NATO allies.

The U.S. military said: “We will continue to work closely with our Turkish partners on supporting the sovereignty of Turkish airspace and our shared efforts to degrade and destroy (IS).”

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