ANKARA, Nov. 20 (Xinhua) -- The Turkish Armed Forces said on Wednesday that it fired six mortar shells into Syria after three shells from the Syrian side hit southern Turkey.
The border units fired at least six mortar shells into Syria after Sanliurfa province in southern Turkey was hit by three mortar shells, the Turkish military said in a written statement.
The three shells came from an area where the Islamic State (IS) militants and Kurdish fighters are engaging for control, the statement said, adding that the closest town to Sanliurfa, where Kurds and IS militants are fighting, is the Syrian city of Ayn al- Arab, also know as Kobane.
The Turkish military fired as part of the engagement rules, without specifying its targets, the statement added.
Turkey deployed additional heavy weapons, including tanks, along the border with neighboring Syria earlier in November. As clashes between IS militants and the People's Protection Units intensified in the northern Syrian city of Kobane in recent months, the Turkish Armed Forces have stepped up security measures on the border line.
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