DAMASCUS, (SANA) – Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said on Wednesday that the relevant authorities in Syria are investigating the source of the gunfire that claimed the lives of a Turkish woman and her children, offering sincerest condolences on behalf of the Syrian government to the family of the deceased and the Turkish people.

"In case of border incidents that occur between any two neighboring countries, countries and governments must act wisely, rationally and responsibly, particularly since there's a special condition on the Syrian-Turkish borders in terms of the presence of undisciplined terrorist groups spread across the borders who have varying agendas and identities," the Minister told the Syrian TV, affirming that these groups constitute a threat to Syria's security and regional security.

Minister al-Zoubi stressed that the Syrian-Turkish borders are long and are being used to smuggle weapons, equipment and terrorists into Syria where they committed massacres, the latest such massacre being the one committed by Al Qaeda in Aleppo.

He said that Syria bases its conduct with neighboring countries on good neighborly relations and respecting the sovereignty of countries, and that Syria asks in return that its sovereignty be respected, in addition to cooperating to control borders and prevent militants and terrorists from sneaking across, which is what Syria always does.

H. Sabbagh