Turkey shells Syrian army, Romney pledges aid

Turkey launched new mortar bomb attacks on Syrian army positions Monday in response to what Turkish officials said was a Syrian shell strike on a border town.

This came just a few hours after UN chief Ban Ki-moon warned of the dangers of the Syrian conflict spilling over into Turkey and Lebanon, and called for an end to foreign arming of either side in the ongoing conflict between the Syrian government and opposing forces.

The Syrian shell is said to have landed in Turkey’s Hatay province near the western end of the border between the two nations. According to an anonymous Turkish official, Turkish troops have been under orders to respond to all cross-border fire since shelling from the Syrian side killed five Turkish civilians last Wednesday. The Turkish parliament authorized the use of military force on Thursday, though President Abdullah Gul maintains that it was not a mandate for war with Syria.

The Syrian government, meanwhile, has accused Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia of backing rebels, while the rebels claim that Syrian president Bashar al-Assad is receiving aid from Iran.

In the US, presidential candidate Mitt Romney is accusing incumbent Barrack Obama of displaying weak leadership when it comes to the Syrian crisis. He promised in a foreign policy speech Monday to work with allies to identify, organize and arm rebels who share US values.