Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan deployed troops and military vehicles to the border with Syria Thursday in order to insulate the nation from the fighting which has intensified in far-northern areas under rebel control in Syria, according to ABC.

Erdogan instructed his soldiers to react to any Syrian threat approaching the shared border. The new rules for engagement came after Syrian forces shot down a Turkish warplane on Friday.

Violence in Syria has continued to escalate, particularly in Damscus. Two car bombs exploded outside the main court building, the Palace of Justice, on Thursday. Smoke from the explosions rose over the city and left dozens of burnt cars strew across the area. The Syrian state news agency reported three people were injured in the blasts.

Hamas reported one of its members, Kamal Husni Ghanaja, was killed in his home in Damascus. The group denounced his death as a "cowardly murder."

More than 20 people died across Syria on Thursday.

 

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