Several mortar shells from Syria land along southeast Turkish border


Five mortar shells hit Turkey's southeastern province of Gaziantep bordering Syria, the provincial governor said Thursday.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ali Yerlikaya said the shells were fired from Syria's city of Jarablus around 11:00 am local time and landed in the Karkamis district."One of the shells that landed close to a border post hit a howitzer, which was slightly damaged; there were no casualties," said the governor.He added that the Turkish howitzers, known as Fırtına (Storm in Turkish), retaliate against Daesh positions on the Syrian side.Turkey has been under indiscriminate rocket attacks from Syria since mid-January. Just in the Kilis province, a total of 18 people have been killed and 60 others wounded in Daesh cross-border attacks.Occasional stray rockets and mortars land in southern and southeastern Turkey due to the conflict in neighboring Syria. Despite a ceasefire in the country, violence still persists in the area.

Kilis, which is home to large numbers of Syrian refugees exceeding its own population, has suffered repeatedly from cross-border shelling. The rockets became an almost daily occasion in the small town where locals recently rallied for more security measures.

Under Turkey's rules of engagement, the military responded by shelling Daesh positions in Syria.