Ankara: Turkey put its military on alert against any threat from jihadist groups to a historic tomb inside conflict-ridden Syria, local media reported on Friday.
Approximately 25 Turkish soldiers on guard around the Tomb of Suleyman Shah were ordered to retaliate in case of any attack by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), according to the Hurriyet newspaper. The area -- 25 kilometres (15 miles) from the border -- remains Turkish territory under a 1921 treaty signed between France and Turkey.
"The risk has been there since the Syrian crisis first erupted," a Turkish official told a news agency on condition of anonymity. "We are prepared for any scenario as always," the official said, without elaborating.
Another official said: "We are following the issue in its entirety and we are in coordination with the relevant institutions."