Turkish military vehicle runs over, kills woman and child in Syria

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 locals, opposition activists say.

The apparent accident happened in the town of Atareb west of the northern city of Aleppo as two armored vehicles drove through the town, the activists said. Afterward, angry residents pelted the vehicles with stones, as they drove slowly through the town located about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the Turkish border, they say.

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

The Britain-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 is no immediate comment from Turkish officials.