Turkey orders evacuation of Karkamis after ISIL terrorist attack

Turkey on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of residents from the town of Karkamis after it was hit by mortar fire from Islamic State members in Syria, the BBC reported, citing the Patria news agency. 

Karkamis is located very close to the Syrian border, directly opposite the Syrian town of Jarablus, which is under ISIL control. Rebels backed by Turkey aim to capture that town in the coming days.

Hundreds of Syrian rebels, with support from Ankara, are preparing an offensive from the Turkish side of the border to seize Jarablus. Turkey wants to push ISIL members away from the border area and is bombing targets across the border in northern Syria ahead of an expected ground assault.

Turkey has also bombed Kurdish forces nearby, apparently to prevent them from taking control of Jarablus. Following the evacuation order for Karkamis, buses were sent to transport people without their own cars, Index reports.