Turkish military vehicle runs over woman and child in Syria

Deaths lead to angry scenes in Atareb town as residents pelt Turkish convoy with stones

Turkey stationed troops in northern Syria after Ankara carried out three major incursions into the war-torn country since 2016. AFP

A Turkish military vehicle ran over a woman and a child in a northern Syrian town on Monday, killing them instantly and sparking protests by local people.

Opposition activists said the incident involving two armoured vehicles happened in the town of Atareb, west of the northern city of Aleppo and about 16 kilometres from the Turkish border.

Afterwards, angry residents pelted the vehicles with stones as Turkish forces drove slowly through the town.

Residents of northern Syria frequently complain about the aggressive way in which Turkish convoys drive in their towns and villages.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor, said members of a rebel group in Atareb protected the Turkish soldiers from the protesters and took them to a nearby police station.

There was no immediate comment from Turkish officials.

The observatory said a Turkish convoy killed a girl in early November near the town of Ras Al Ayn, adding that they drove away without helping the child.

Turkey stationed troops in northern Syria after Ankara carried out three major incursions into the war-torn country since 2016. Turkey has military posts in different parts of Syria’s north on the border with Turkey.