16 wounded as two rocket projectiles fired from Syria hit Turkey’s Kilis

KİLİS – Anadolu Agency

DHA photo

A total of 16 people, including children, were wounded when two rocket projectiles fired from Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) positions in northern Syria hit the border province of Kilis on April 24.

One of the two rocket projectiles fired from the ISIL-controlled region in Syria hit the roof of a house in the Okçular neighborhood while the other hit the backyard of another house. Medical personnel and police were immediately deployed to the scene following the incident while security measures were also taken in the area.

The 16 wounded individuals, six of whom were Syrian citizens, were reported to be in good condition and under treatment at Kilis State Hospital, a statement from the Kilis Governor’s Office read. 

The Turkish military shelled ISIL-controlled positions in the Bab region in northern Syria following the incident.

Recently, three people were killed and six others were wounded when rocket projectiles fired from Syria hit Kilis on April 22, as the border province continued to be the target of attacks originating from Syria.

The total death toll in rocket landings in the border province has reached 15 since January.

Meanwhile, a group of locals gathered and marched towards the Kilis Governor’s Office to protest the rocket landings over the past few weeks which have struck the town, which hosts more Syrians than it has Turkish residents. Kilis residents showed their reactions to and security concerns caused by the rockets fired at the town by attempting to stage a sit-in protest, which was intervened by the police. 

Making an announcement on its website on April 22, the Kilis Governor’s Office said meetings and demonstration marches in the province had been banned for a month, citing that “some individuals and groups tried to engage in some reactionary activities against the Syrian guests by provoking society through social media and other communication means.”

The main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) also reacted to the deteriorating security situation in Kilis, as its deputies demanded a general meeting to discuss the issue. The demand, submitted by CHP group deputy chairman Özgür Özel and Istanbul deputy Sezgin Tanrıkulu, said Kilis had become a target for ISIL as this year there had been over 40 rocket projectile fired at the town, adding that parliament should be informed about these attacks, discuss measures to be taken against the attacks and evaluate the situation thoroughly.