Syria says Turkey shells areas in Latakia province

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said Turkish army artillery targeted a town in the countryside of Syria's coastal province of Latakia on Monday, wounding many people, according to state news agency SANA.

The Turkish shelling targeted the Ataira Mountain in northern countryside of Latakia, where Syrian army backed by Russian air force is making strides against Turkey-backed militant groups, mainly the Turkmen rebels.

The ministry statement said the shelling was a "flagrant violation" to the international law, urging the Turkish government to bring such actions to a halt.

The statement said the Syrian government reserves the right to respond to such a violation by any means possible, urging the international community to practice pressure on Turkey to deter such acts.

The Syrian military forces have been making notable changes in the battles map in Latakia, stripping the Turkey-backed militants of key areas near Turkey.

The ministry's statement stopped short of giving further details about the exact targets of the Turkish shelling.

Syrian military sources told Xinhua that the Syrian forces backed by Russia are working to close the borders with Turkey to deter the flow of foreign jihadists into Syria.

Turkey has for long been a staunch critic of President Bashar al-Assad rule and a main backer of the insurgency seeking to topple him.

The long-running conflict in Syria has killed over 250,000 people and displaced half of the country's 23 million population. Endit