Turkey strikes Syria again after mortar shell falls

ANKARA - Turkish army fired back at targets in Syria for a third straight day after a Syrian mortar shell fell in a non-residential area in southern Turkish province of Hatay amid cross-border attacks, Turkish NTV news channel reported on Friday.

The mortar shell fell in Asagipulluyazi village of Yayladagi town in Hatay, 50 meters away from the Syrian border. Turkish army immediately "fired back at targets" within Syria, but did not cause any casualties, Hatay Governor Mehmet Celalettin Lekesiz was quoted as saying.

Turkey started the military strikes on Syrian targets on Wednesday after mortar shells from the Syrian side killed five Turks in Akcakale, a border town in Turkey's southeastern Sanliurfa province.

"Our armed forces on border region have given the required response in line with the rule of engagements. Targets in Syria, which were detected by radar, were shot by shelling," the Turkish prime ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

"Turkey will never remain unresponsive against these sorts of provocations of Syrian regime within the framework of rules of engagement and international law," the statement added.

In an emergency session on Thursday, Turkish parliament approved a motion for cross-border military operations inside Syria.

Ankara has repeatedly complained about the spillover of Syrian artillery and gunfire into its territory. Last week, the Turkish government signaled that it would take action if mortar strikes were repeated on its territory from Syria.

Turkey, once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but now a leading voice urging him to quit, shelters more than 90,000 Syrian refugees and has provided Syrian rebel army leaders with sanctuary.