Updated on
Summary Turkish troops have halted artillery fire into Syria after Damascus apology, security officials.
Turkish fire started Wednesday evening immediately after Syrian shells killed five Turkish nationals, two women and three children, in Akcakale town of Sanliurfa city, near the Syrian border.Turkish shelling continued throughout the night until 0600 GMT Thursday, security sources told AFP.But the shelling inside Syria might continue if needed, a Turkish official warned.Turkish shells are not continuous. They are fired and will be fired when necessary, he said.Last week, Turkey deployed anti-aircraft batteries and armored tanks along Akcakale, which lies across the border from Syrias Tall al-Abyad town, citing precautionary measures in the face of increasing clashes between Syrian rebels and loyalist troops.Turkish media reported that forces along the border were being fortified on Thursday, with batches of tanks and missile batteries being transferred to a brigade command in Sanliurfa.The incident marked the first time that Turkish citizens had been killed by Syrian fire since the uprising against Assads regime began in March 2011.It also triggered a parliamentary approval on a mandate for cross-border attacks in Syria when deemed necessary.Turkish pounding inside Syria on unspecified targets killed several Syrian soldiers, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which did not give an exact figure. Ankara did not confirm.
