KILIS, Turkey

Twelve Turkmen are reportedly wounded Friday afternoon in clashes with millitants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in the town of Cobanbeyli, north of Aleppo.

The wounded were taken to hospitals in the southern Turkish provinces of Kilis and Gaziantep. 

The armed conflict between ISIL militants and Syrian Turkmen groups which has been going on for more than a week was reported to have declined in the morning but local sources told Anadolu Agency that the clashes escalated on Friday afternoon . 

The ISIL militants after the week long fighting had to withdraw nine kms out of Cobanbey town. A group of 300 armed Turkmen raided the ISIL militants last night to clear them off the region. There are no records of numbers of casualties or death toll, local sources reported.

The conflict escalated after the militants from Cerablus, Rakka, Tal Abyad reached the region to help ISIL militants.

Gunshots were heard from a Syrian refugee camp in the southern Turkish town of Elbeyli in the province of Kilis.  

 The sources also reported that many opposition groups in Aleppo and Azez town of Aleppo joined the Turkmen forces to fight ISIL. 

Some people from the southern Turkish town of Elbeyli in Kilis province who have relatives over the border in the Syrian town of Cobanbeyli rushed to the border to get news of their relatives but the Turkish security forces sent them off.  

Turkish Armed Forces are also tightening security along the border due to the increasing armed conflict close to the borders.  

englishnews@aa.com.tr