Amid intensified war in the Middle East, sirens were heard early on Friday at Turkey's Incirlik airbase, a key NATO facility where US troops are stationed near the southeastern city of Adana, state news agency Anadolu reported. However, there was no immediate official comment on the incident, which took place four days after NATO air defences shot down a ballistic missile in Turkish airspace that was fired from Iran, the second in five days.
Sirens trigger panic in Adana
Residents of Adana, which lies 10 kilometres (six miles) away from the base, were woken at around 3:25 am (0025 GMT) by sirens, which sounded for around five minutes, according to the Ekonomim business news website. It said a red alert sounded at the base.
Several people posted mobile phone footage on social media of a glowing image flying through the sky, suggesting it could be a missile heading for the airbase, it said. Across the city, sirens from fire engines and the security forces could be heard for a long time, it added.
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran
NATO said it shot down a second ballistic missile fired from Iran on Monday, prompting a stern warning from Turkey to Tehran not to take "provocative steps". The announcement came shortly after Washington said it was closing down its consulate in Adana, urging all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkey.
Since the US-Israeli war against Iran started, Tehran has launched strikes across the Middle East. Turkey had appeared to have been spared. As well as Incirlik airbase, US troops are also stationed at Kurecik, another Turkish base that is a NATO facility in the centre of the country, where a Patriot missile defence system was deployed on Tuesday. A first missile had been intercepted by NATO defences in Turkish air space on March 4.
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