ISIS took advantage of Turkish invasion of northeast Syria - report

Islamic State (ISIS) increased the number of its attacks by nearly 20 percent following Turkey's October offensive into northeast Syria, the Military Times said on Tuesday, citing a report by the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

Attacks by ISIS rose from a monthly average of 55, to 66 after Turkey's Syria incursion, according to the DIA report.

“This suggests ISIS continues to view the security environment in northeast Syria as more conducive to its operations,” the Military Times quoted the report as saying.

But officials from the U.S.-led coalition fighting ISIS said the report was based on online ISIS propaganda and that Turkish military operations had not led to ISIS making a comeback.

Turkey launched Operation Peace Spring on Oct. 9 after President Donald Trump announced he was pulling U.S. forces from the border area. But the advance of Turkish forces and their Syrian rebel allies provoked international outrage as Kurdish-led groups that had fought in the front lines against Islamic State were shelled and withdrew.