Howitzer cannons have been placed along critical points and air defence systems have been already activated in preparation for a direct threat on the country's borders or territory. Sixty-five thousand troops are now on duty at 317 military posts along the 910-km long Turkey-Syria border.

The military posts, built in border provinces such as Şanlıurfa, Mardin and Şırnak, are equipped with 1,200 military tanks, a large number of armoured vehicles and armoured personnel carriers. The border units, on duty for 24 hours, have clamped down on infiltrators attempting to cross into Syria illegally to join ISIL through Turkey.

Ankara clearly expresses its concerns over the activities in the ISIL-held areas, near its border with Syria. Turkish government believes if ISIL's advance cannot be stopped, it may take control of Turkey's Öncüpınar crossing and get closer to the Cilvegözü border gate in the southern province of Hatay.

In recent months, Ankara and Washington have agreed on the imposition of an ISIL-free zone in northern Syria that also enables establishing a safe zone along the border with Turkey. Ankara has long called for the creation of safe zones for internally-displaced Syrians to take shelter.

However, the head of the UN refugee agency warned that proposals to set up safe zones inside Syria should not be seen as an alternative to accepting people seeking asylum from the conflicti according to the Guardian. “Safe areas should not undermine the right of people to seek and enjoy asylum. Safe areas could not be seen as a deposit for refugees," said the UNHCR chief, Antonio Guterres.

Seven Syrian nationals are among the suspects. Police suspect the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) for the murder because the way they were killed bore the hallmarks of previous ISIL atrocity. A Syrian man, T.S., said to have lived in the same home with the slain journalists is now being sought for questioning

The victims, Ibrahim Abdul-Qadir and Fares Hamadi, were found stabbed to death in their home on the second floor of a 3-storey apartment in the central Haliliye district of Sanliurfa province. Witnesses said the men had been beheaded.

Fares Hamadi was the managing editor of Ayn Watan newspaper and Ibrahim Abdul-Qadir was reporter of the Şanlıurfa-based media outlet. The weekly newspaper is published by a pro-Free Syrian Army activist group "Raqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently" (RSS).

The deceased were particularly known for their reports denouncing ISIL's atrocities. They had been threatened with death several times before their killing.

Police said the wide-scale investigation will determine the perpetrators and the motives.

The victims were identified as Firas Hammadi, the managing editor of Ayn Watan, a weekly newspaper published by pro-Free Syrian Army activists group "Raqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently" (RSS), and Ibrahim Abdulkader, a reporter for the newspaper.

They were found beheaded at Hamadi's house Friday morning, said Abu Mohammad, a founder of RSS.

The group also confirmed the report on Twitter:

https://t.co/6xkQ9S3Jcr

Reports indicated unknown assailants slit the throats of both men using a hunting knife.

Police launched an investigation into the killings while seven suspects have been detained for questioning.

Raqa is Being Slaughtered Silently is a blog formed in April 2014, based on citizen journalism exposing the atrocities of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Raqa, Syria.

The militant group seized control of Raqa from opposition fighters, including Free Syrian Army, in early 2014 and use it as their de facto capital.

RSS was awarded the International Press Freedom Award 2015 from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), for its first-hand accounts, videos and photographs of the Syrian city under ISIL.

"We are at a moment when everyone should stand shoulder to shoulder against this attack," Davutoğlu said in a news conference in Ankara.

The blast in Şanliurfa province, next to the Syrian border, is thought to have been caused by a suicide bomber targeting activists who planned to visit the Syrian town of Kobani after it was devastated by fighting between Kurdish forces and Daesh.

Davutoğlu said 104 people were injured in the “atrocity", nine of whom are in a critical condition.

"We face a terror act in which we will have to bring the perpetrators to account as well condemning and cursing the attack," he said.

The prime minister added: "We are ready to take necessary measures against those who have responsibility and negligence for the attack, including mainly ISIL."

Davutoğlu has also called on all four of Turkey's parliamentary parties to sign a joint declaration against terrorism.

"All parties should come together rather than blaming one another, provoking people and making baseless accusations," he said.

The president also reiterated that Turkey and his Justice and Development (AK) Party do not support any terrorist organization.

"I am saying clearly again: the Republic of Turkey, AK Party governments and the AK Party have never supported or tolerated any terrorist organization."

He called on the international community to show its support against terrorism.

"It is not the day to align the AK Party and the Turkish government with ISIL in line with the aspirations of some international circles," Davutoğlu told reporters. “It is the day to raise your voice against terror."

In a statement, the Interior Ministry described the attack as a “terror attack that targeted our country's unity and integrity".

The suspected suicide attack in Suruç, a town in Sanliurfa province close to the Syrian border, targeted activists preparing to visit Kobani, the Syrian town devastated by fighting between Daesh and Kurdish forces.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the attack through his official spokesman. "No cause or grievance ever justifies the targeting of civilians," Farhan Haq told reporters in New York.

Referring to Ban, Haq added: "He sends his deepest condolences to the victims and their families, as well as to the government and people of Turkey, and wishes those injured a speedy recovery."

A statement from NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also strongly condemned the bombing. He said: "There can be no justification for terrorism. We stand in strong solidarity with the people and government of our ally Turkey."

In Washington, White House spokesman Josh Earnest strongly condemned the "heinous" attack. "We express our solidarity with the Turkish government and the Turkish people and reaffirm our undeterred resolve in the fight against the shared threat of terrorism," he said.

"We continue to be mindful of the destabilizing impact that extremist groups like ISIL have in the region and that's why you have seen the president work so hard to build and lead an international coalition to degrade and ultimately destroy them."

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier urged the international community to take strong measures against terrorism.

"I condemn this heinous act in the strongest terms," he said in a statement. “The attack in Suruç shows that we cannot relax in our fight against terrorism. Turkey is a significant partner in this regard."

In a written statement, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius offered condolences for the victims' families and voiced France's solidarity with Turkey.

"I condemn in the strongest terms the suicide attack that hit the Turkish town of Suruç and has caused many deaths and injuries," he said.

"France stands by Turkey in face of this attack, which again shows the significance of our cooperation in the fight against extremism and terrorism."

Richard Moore, Britain's ambassador to Ankara, said he was “horrified" at the attack. In a message on Twitter, he said: “Thoughts with the wounded and with grieving families. I have kids that age. UK stands shoulder to shoulder with Turkey in condemning unequivocally all terrorism."

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond wrote: “I condemn unreservedly today's sickening attack in #Suruc #Turkey. My deepest sympathies are with the injured families of those killed."

A message on the U.S. embassy's official Twitter feed said: "We join all those across Turkey condemning the cowardly terrorist attack on innocents in Suruç."

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev also his condolences. In a message to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, he said: "Dear brother, I share your grief by this tragedy. On behalf of myself and the people of Azerbaijan, I offer my condolences to you, the families of the victims and all Turkish people and wish the wounded a quick recovery."

Kosovo's President Atifete Jahjaga sent a condolence letter to Erdoğan, offering her country's support.

“The war against terrorism and extremism is our common war to strengthen the foundations of global security and maintain the stability in the world," Jahjaga said.

Serzh Sargsyan, president of neighboring Armenia, also sent a message of condolence to Erdogan. "We condemn all kinds of terror," he said in a message on his official website. “Please accept my condolences on the incident. I wish strength for the relatives of the victims and speedy recovery for the wounded."

Pakistan condemned the attack “in the strongest terms". In a statement, the Foreign Ministry said that “so many precious lives have been lost. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families."

The statement added: “We extend our heartfelt sympathies and condolences to the brotherly people and government of Turkey and pray for the speediest recovery of those wounded in this abhorrent attack."

The officials form the Suruç district coordinator's office said that they planned to open a 700,000-square-meter area, near a newly established camp for 35,000 Syrian refugees in the Suruç district, for the refugees to cultivate land.

The project aims to provide jobs for 7,000 refugee families who will cultivate land that remained uncultivated for about 30 years, due to the irrigation problem. According to the new project, the irrigation of the land will be provided from the waste water treatment plant in the camp.

According to the plan, practical applications will be applied to the region by providing agricultural training to the refugees.  Every refugee family will be given 100 square meters of land on which to raise their own food, as well as to earn money by selling their crops.

The existing laws of Turkey prohibit Syrians to cultivate inside the Turkish territory. The officials working with the new project said a minor change of the existing law can open a door for thousands of Syrian refugees.

The district coordination office said that the project was submitted to the relevant ministry, and the field work would be started immediately after the approval of the project.

Since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, Turkey- estimated to host over 1.6 million Syrians as guests- has maintained an emergency response of a consistently high standard. The Turkish state has so far spent $6 billion for the Syrian refugees.

The wounded were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Suruç District Governor Abdullah Çiftci also confirmed that the bombs were placed in a trash dumpster near the police post and detonated at 10:45 a.m local time.

The attack occurred in Sanliurfa’s Suruc district some 15 km (9 miles) north of the Syrian town of Kobani.

"We have allowed 150,000 Syrians to cross into Turkey safely in the first wave of a refugee influx while this number increased to 192,000  in the following four days. A majority of them are now being accommodated with their relatives in Turkey. Nearly 15,000 have been placed in a tent city we have set up for them," said Şanlıurfa governor İzzettin Küçük, speaking to Yenişafak reporter in his office.

"We are still working on a new tent city which is much larger and has a capacity of 20,000 people. It will have every sort of facility from hospital, school to sport center and even culture center," he said.

Küçük said that some NGOs, or non-governmental organizations, from the Kurdish enclave in northern Iraq have met the daily food required for 30,000 Syrian Kurds for the first two weeks.

"It has been the Turkish Red Crescent and Turkey's emergency and disaster management unit which have provided the most humanitarian aid. Not the foreign countries, but foreign organizations have sent aid to Syrian refugees who have found shelter in Turkey," said the governor.

The Turkish governor emphasized Turkey has extended its helping hand for every injured Syrian Kurd coming from Kobani without making any discrimination, despite the life-threatening conditions along the Turkish-Syrian border.

"The Mürşitpınar crossing can be hit by any mortar launched from the Syrian territory. Two days ago, ISIL militants fired 31 mortar shells during an exchange of fire. Every mortar has left destruction 50 meters in diameter around the spot where it has fallen. The police, the gendarmerie and the paramedics have exerted frantic efforts to save every injured civilian who poured into the area along the Turkish border," he said.

The governor also said Turkey has received 802 injured refugees, most of whom have suffered from bullet wounds. "The state hospital in Suruç town has been asserted to the refugees' treatment. Those with more serious injuries have been transfered to hospitals in nearby provinces," he added. 

Smoke rising from the border town has been within view of the Turkish border.  The sound of explosions were heard into Turkish border towns while a tank and a truck, loaded heavy arms, were seen deployed on a hill overlooking a Syrian border town with Turkey.

According to local sources, ISIL insurgents were battling to seize the strategic hill to advance further into the besieged Syrian border town, Kobane. They said mortar bombs struck the border town's eastern and southern outskirts and the exchange of gun fire were echoed around the crucially important hill.

While US-led international coalition was carrying out air strikes against ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria, more than 160,000 Syrian refugees have amassed along the Syrian-Turkish border since ISIL insurgents launched an offensive to seize Kobane on Sep. 15.

VIOLENCE SPILLS INTO TURKEY

The violence, centered around the Syrian border town of Kobane, spilled into Turkish territory. A mortar shell fell into a vacant field near a place which the reporters and security forces were deployed near the Syrian border in the Mürşitpınar neighborhood.  The shelling at 09:45 in the morning hours caused a stampede among the reporters on the spot for a while  but the shell did not explode.

Another mortar shell, believed to have been fired from Kobane during the clashes between Kurdish forces and ISIL members, slammed into a house near the border. When the mortar shell hit the wall of the house, four people from the same family were injured by shrapnel pieces and broken stones which ricocheted off the destroyed wall.

The Şanlıurfa governorship ordered evacuation of regions near the border with Syria which have come under mortar rain. Security forces notified the residents of the villages of Küçükkendirli and Büyükkendirli, known as Atmanek in Kurdish, that they must leave their houses soon for security reason.

The governor’s office released the decision after the mortar shell destroyed the house in Küçükkenderciler, which is just two kilometers to the Turkish-Syrian border. The residents without a place to go have been temporarily placed in guest houses of the official institutions in the region.

A mortar shell strike in Turkey's southeastern Suruc town, a few kilometers away from the Syrian border, prompted the evacuation of two neighborhoods

The evacuation of two neighborhoods is currently underway in Turkey's southeastern province of Sanliurfa, after a mortar shell hit the area injuring four people, from the same familty, the governorate announced.

The decision came after a mortar shell fell on a house in the Suruc town on Sunday, injuring at four people, according to Sanliurfa Governor Izzettin Kucuk.

"We decided to transfer the residents of Buyuk Kendirci and Kucuk Kendirci in a more secure place," he said. 

The four people injured are currently being treated at Suruc State Hospital.

The incident comes as clashes between Kurdish groups and Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant militants intensified on Sunday around the Kurdish-populated town of Kobani, just a few kilometers from the Turkish border.

ISIL militants, have been attacking the border town of Kobani from all directions for three weeks.

Around 160,000 Syrian refugees took shelter in Turkey, since the country opened its border on September 19.

The mortar shell was believed to have been fired at around 1:20 on Sunday afternoon from the Syrian border town of Kobane during the fierce clashes between Kurdish forces and members of the Islamic State and Iraq, or ISIL. It exploded after hitting the wall of a house in the town's Atmanek neighborhood, which is just two kilometers to the Turkish-Syrian border.

The residents in the home were injured by shrapnel pieces and broken stones which ricocheted off the destroyed wall.

The injured were taken to Suruç state hospital. Turkish armed forces stepped up security precaution in the region.

The Turkish military has deployed tanks to the Syrian border after clashes have intensified in Kobani, which is still under siege by the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant militants, or ISIL.

There has been an apparent increase in the military mobilization along the Yumurtalık neighborhood. The tanks have been deployed along the positions in Yumurtalık with their barrels pointing at Syria's Kobani town, looming just across the border from the town of Suruç in the southeastern province of Sanlıurfa. The military officials in the border town of Suruç have been using binoculars to watch the clashes between the Kurdish militia and ISIL.

However, for safety reasons, such as mortar shells falling in the area, the military did not let the city’s residents approach the border to watch the clashes between the ISIL militia and fighters, linked with Syria's Democratic Union Party, or PYD -- an offshoot of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK. 

Thirty-five tanks have been sent to Murşitpınar gate on the Syrian border after a mortar shell dropped into a vacant field in this neighborhood. The tanks have been deployed along the positions with their barrels pointing at Syria's Kobani town after moving along the border for a while.

Syrian Kurds have not been allowed to return back home to collect their belongings, while injured Syrian refugees have been taken to hospitals tin Suruç or into central Şanlıurfa by paramedics.

After seeing some of the Syrian refugees cars parked in the area as well as livestock - cows and sheep - that some people managed to bring, of course, other refugees wish they could return home to bring the rest of their own possessions.

The army has immediately deployed 35 tanks in reaction to the mortar shells, that are believed to have been fired from the strategic Syrian town of Ain al-Arab, known as Kobane, during the clashes between the Kurdish militia and members of the Islamic State and Iraq, or ISIL.

The first mortar shell fell near a place from which the reporters and security forces were deployed in the Mürşitpınar neighborhood. After five minutes, the second mortar shell hit a vacant field near a park which turned into a housing center for Syrian refugees who fled from the battleground into Turkey.

No casulties have been reported after the explosions increased the city residents' anxiety.

However, three people had been injured when an artillery shell hit a house in the Alanyurt neighborhood in Suruç. They had been taken to Suruç state hospital.

Several military tanks and armored vehicles were deployed in the spot where shell explosions reportedly landed. A cloud of dust enveloped Kobani, which is just an eyeshot of the Turkish border, while the sound of sporadic artillery and gun fire echoed through the hills along the Syrian border with Turkey.