UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the ongoing conflict in Syria endangers the surrounding region after a Syrian attack on Turkey that killed at least five civilians and wounded a dozen more.
On Wednesday, a mortar round fired from Syria on the Turkish town of Akcakale, near the Syrian border, killed several civilians including a child, according to Turkish media reports. Turkish military also responded with an artillery fire.
“Today’s incidents, where firing from Syria struck a Turkish town, again demonstrated how Syria’s conflict is threatening not only the security of the Syrian people but increasingly causing harm to its neighbors,” Ki-moon said in a statement.
The top UN official once again called on all conflicting sides in Syria to stop the violence and start negotiations.
The Syrian conflict has claimed up to 20,000 lives according to estimates by various Syrian opposition groups. The UN estimates the death toll at over 18,000 people. The Syrian authorities say that 8,000 have been killed.
