Cross-border fire from Syria hits Turkish town, wounding eight

Istanbul: Shelling from Syria hit a Turkish border town for the second day in a row on Tuesday, wounding eight people, the mayor said.

Two shells hit the town of Kilis, one striking roadworks and the other an empty lot, Mayor Hasan Kara told Reuters by phone. Some of the wounded were municipal workers, he said.

On Monday, 12 people were hurt when rocket fire hit the town, the privately owned Dogan News Agency said. The Turkish military retaliated by firing howitzers, a government official said.

The area across the border is controlled by Islamic State but it was not immediately clear who has fired at Kilis this week.

The town, which is home to a reported 110,000 Syrian refugees, is frequently hit by artillery from across the border. Two people, including a young child, were killed by rocket fire in March.

The Turkish armed forces often respond by firing at targets in Syria. Turkey is an outspoken critic of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and has supported opposition fighters in the five-year war.