TURKEY: Turkish media report an anti-aircraft shell fired from Syria damages a health centre across the border in the Reyhanli district of Turkey's without causing injuries

Record ID: 281518

  • Title: TURKEY: Turkish media report an anti-aircraft shell fired from Syria damages a health centre across the border in the Reyhanli district of Turkey's without causing injuries
  • Date: 23rd October 2012
  • Summary: SIGN FOR HEALTH CENTRE AND TURKISH FLAG FLYING VARIOUS OF BROKEN WINDOW VARIOUS OF PIECES OF GLASS ON THE GROUND YOUNG MEN LOOKING AT BROKEN WINDOW MORE OF BROKEN WINDOW (SOUNDBITE) (Turkish) UNIDENTIFIED TURKISH EYEWITNESS SAYING: "Around 11 o'clock, I heard a noise and I immediately came here. There were only nurses and medics inside. We couldn't understand what was goi
  • Embargoed: 7th November 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVADW5A44IY6C18JHO8W0JORWJHX
  • Story Text: An anti-aircraft shell fired from Syria hit a health centre across the border in the Reyhanli district of Turkey's Hatay province on Tuesday (October 23) but there were no immediate reports of injuries, CNN Turk television said.
    Turkey has bolstered its military presence along its 900-km (560-mile) border with Syria and has been responding in kind to gunfire and mortar shells hitting its territory from fighting between Syrian rebels and government forces.
    The Reyhanli district governor's office said it had no immediate information on the incident. An eye witness told Reuters Television said he heard the noise but couldn't imagine the rocket had been fired from Syria.

    "Around 11 o'clock, I heard a noise and I immediately came here. There were only nurses and medics inside. We couldn't understand what was going on at first sight. Then we saw people getting out with tears in their eyes. When we asked them what happened they said a rocket has landed. We went inside but honestly we never thought it was fired from Syria," he said.
    Tension between the two neighbours, once close allies, is at its highest since Ankara turned against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad last year over his violent crackdown on anti-government protests.
    Turkish newspaper Milliyet said on Saturday that the Turkish military had fired on Syria 87 times, killing 12 Syrian soldiers and destroying several tanks in retaliation for Syrian shells and mortar bombs landing inside Turkey.
    Turkey's Chief-of-Staff General Necdet Ozel said this month that his troops would respond "with greater force" if shells continued to land on Turkish soil, and parliament has also authorised the deployment of troops beyond Turkey, heightening fears that Syria's civil war could drag in regional powers.
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