Turkey scrambles F-16s after blast hits Syrian border

Turkey has dispatched several F-16 warplanes toward the Syria border following a big explosion in the area, local media reported on Sunday. Several Turkish jets took off from Diyarbakir air base in southeastern Turkey and headed to the border region for reconnaissance mission, private Ihlas news agency reported. The jets scrambled after a mortar shell exploded near the Reyhanli town of Turkey's southern Hatay province bordering Syria and a bomb-laden vehicle went off on the Syrian side. The jets were armed with weapons and ordered to strike back if any aggressive actions happened, Turkish Today's Zaman said. Turkish army beefed up a military presence near Syrian border last week, as the United States and its allies mull an imminent military action against the Arab country after Syrian rebels accused the government of launching a nerve agent attack near Damascus. Last week, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan stated that Turkey could take a role in an international coalition for military intervention in Syria. Turkey, once an ally of Assad but now a leading voice urging his ouster, has reportedly provided Syrian rebel army leaders with sanctuary.