Turkish artillery shells hit near US Special Operations base in Syria

Amid its ongoing offensive in Syria, Turkish artillery shells on Friday (local time) hit close to a US Special Operations unit.

The incident took place near the Syrian city of Kobani. CNN quoted an official as saying that there are no American injuries in the early reports and at this time no indication this was deliberate.

The shells landed several hundred yards from where the US forces were located.

It cited another official as saying that there has been no activity since the explosion and "we have no indication that there was any intentional fire on US forces". Meanwhile, Turkey has denied its forces fired on the US troops.

The Turkish military's move into Syria began on Wednesday, following US President Donald Trump's decision on Sunday to pull American troops out of Turkey's way, despite disagreement from his own military officers and State Department.

Trump condemned Turkey's operation as a "bad idea" on Wednesday and said this week that Turkey, a NATO ally, would face economic punishment if it did anything he considered "off-limits."

In the northern Syrian town of Tel Abyad, one of the spots where the fighting was heaviest, videos by residents recorded the rattle of gunfire and streaks of tracer fire over the town.

Justifying its actions in a statement, Turkey on Wednesday said that the operation aims at "ensuring the security of our borders and the safety of our people," naming Kurdish militias and Islamic State militants as threats.