Turkey bombs Islamic State, Kurdish positions

Turkey's military bombed Islamic State and Kurdish targets across the border in Syria on Tuesday, state-run media said.

The bombardment comes after a bomb attack blamed on the Islamic State in the Turkish town of Gaziantep on Sunday killed more than 50 people.

The state-run Anadolu Agency said Turkey fired the shells Tuesday after coming under mortar fire from the Islamic State-held town of Jarablus.

While no injuries were reported, Turkey also fired against border positions controlled by Syrian Kurdish fighters who are mounting an offensive against the Islamic State.

Ankara considers the Syrian Kurdish units to be terrorists. The United States views them as key assets in battling against Islamic State fighters.

Turkish-backed Syrian rebels are thought to be preparing for a separate offensive against the Islamic State, media reports said.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden travels to Turkey on Wednesday. He will be the most senior U.S. official to visit the country since a failed coup attempt in mid-July.