Turkish offensive hits U.S. post in Syria

Turkish artillery fire did not hurt any American troops, who evacuated a post that got caught in the line of fire on Friday outside the town of Kobani, Syria. Turkey said it ended the strike, aimed at Kurdish forces in the area, after communicating with the U.S. military.

How is the United States responding? On Friday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper spoke with Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar and warned him to “de-escalate the situation before it becomes irreparable,” Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said. At a news briefing, Esper insisted the United States opposed the Turkish invasion and tried to stop it “at all levels” despite President Donald Trump’s decision to pull U.S. forces from the area. About 100,000 civilians have fled the attack. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan doubled down Friday, saying in a speech, “We will not stop no matter what anyone says.”

Dig deeper: Read Mindy Belz’s report on how the Turkish offensive affects Christians in northeastern Syria.