ISTANBUL: President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday that Turkey would attack militants with tanks and soldiers as soon as possible after retaliatory strikes escalated along the Syrian border between Turkish forces and a Kurdish militia.

“We have been bearing down on terrorists for a few days with our planes, cannons and guns,” Erdogan said in a speech. “God willing, we will root out all of them as soon as possible, together with our tanks, our soldiers.”