US slams Syria for 'depraved' shelling of Turkish town

WASHINGTON (AFP) - The United States (US) condemned Syria on Wednesday for the "depraved" shelling of a Turkish border town that left five dead, and said it was closely following what is a "dangerous" situation.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other US officials voiced solidarity with Turkey and anger with the Syrian regime over shells that hit the town of Akcakale. The dead included a mother and her three children.

The incident marked the first time Turkey's citizens were killed by cross-border fire from its war-torn neighbor, but American officials did not say whether the attack could move North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) closer to action in support of Ankara, a member of the transatlantic alliance.

"This is yet another example of the depraved behavior of the Syrian regime, and why it must go," Pentagon spokesman George Little said in an email.