ANKARA — The Turkish military returned fire Sunday after a shell launched from Syria struck the southeastern Turkish border village of Akcakale, where five civilians were killed last week, the local mayor said.
The Syrian shell landed in the grounds of a public building and there were no casualties, Mayor Abdulhakim Ayhan told Anatolia, the semi-official news agency.
"Thank God there were no victims. Turkish artillery immediately responded to the shots that came from Syria," Ayhan said.
There was minor damage to the building, which had been previously evacuated, Turkish media said.
Since the deadly shelling of Wednesday, the Turkish military has responded in kind whenever Syrian ordnance has breached its territory.
The deadly bombing was the most serious incident between Damascus and Ankara since Syrian anti-aircraft fire brought down a Turkish fighter jet in June.
That incident inflamed tensions between the former allies and renewed fears of a broader conflict. Nearly 80 percent of towns and villages along the Turkish border are outside the control of Damascus, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Turkish parliament on Thursday gave the government the green light to use military force against Syria if necessary.
The UN Security Council on Thursday strongly condemned cross-border attacks by Syria and called for restraint between the two neighbours.
