A Turkish soldier who was guarding the Syrian border in the southern province of Hatay was killed this week by sniper fire originating from somewhere in the country, suspected to be an area held by the PKK-affiliated Democratic Union Party (PYD), a military statement confirmed Wednesday.

The incident took place early on Wednesday, at the Bölünmez Border Post in Hatay's Reyhanlı district, which faces the PYD-held Syrian town of Jandaris to the northeast and opposition-held Atimah to the east.

Acting according to their rights in line with international law, the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) immediately responded to the attack and fired in the direction of the origin of the shot, the statement said.

The area is situated within the so-called Afrin canton of the PYD, which occupies an important portion of northwestern Syria.