The United Nations Security Council has condemned shelling by Syria of a Turkish border town which left 2 women and 3 children dead.
It warned the action could have a “grave impact” on regional peace and stability.
The Assad regime issued a rare apology but Turkey has responded with an attack of its own saying it must protect itself.
Amidst escalating tensions along the Syrian-Turkish border the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon also called on all concerned to exercise restraint.
At least 5 Turkish civilians were reportedly killed and others injured yesterday after the mortar fire from Syria hit the town of Akcakale in the Sanliurfa province ofm Turkey.
The Turkish parliament has authorized further military action against Syria as Turkey began its second day of shelling targets within Syria in response to the incident according to media reports.
Mr. Ban has “repeatedly made clear his concern about the spillover of the Syrian crisis into neighbouring countries, as occurred yesterday with Turkey” said a statement issued by his spokesperson.
“The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to abandon the use of violence, exercise maximum restraint and exert all efforts to move toward a political solution” it added.
The members of the Security Council underscored that the incident highlighted the grave impact the crisis in Syria has on the security of its neighbours and on regional peace and stability.
“The members of the Council demanded that such violations of international law stop immediately and are not repeated. The members of the Security Council called on the Syrian Government to fully respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its neighbours” Ambassador Gert Rosenthal of Guatemala – which holds the Presidency of the Security Council for the month of October – said in a press statement after a meeting of the 15-member body.
More than 18,000 people have died in Syria since the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad began last year.
A further 2.5 million Syrians urgently need humanitarian aid according to UN estimates.
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