Syria: Turkey authorises cross-border operations

Turkey's parliament has authorised troops to launch cross-border action against Syria, following Syria's deadly shelling of a Turkish town. The fighting spilled over the border Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of five Turkish civilians hit by a mortar bomb fired from Syria. The incidents prompted an emergency NATO meeting, and Turkey has asked the UN Security Council to take whatever action is necessary to stop what it calls "Syrian aggression". The Turkish deputy prime minister, Bulent Arinc, has said the mortar attack is 'the last straw' and demanded an international response. "There's been an attack on Turkey's mainland and its citizens lost their lives. There is definitely a response to that in international law," he said. Turkish Radio reports that the mortar round hit a residential neighbourhood of a border town in southern Turkey, killing five women and children from one family. Turkey has also asked the UN Security Council to take the "necessary action" to stop Syrian aggression. Listen to this report from regional correspondent Nathan Morley: