US announces mission along Syrian border

US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta told Nato defence ministers that dozens of soldiers had already been sent into the Middle Eastern state "in order to deal with all the possible consequences of what's happening in Syria."

The mission began in May, when US troops on manoeuvres stayed behind to "build a headquarters there and to ensure that we make the relationship between the United States and Jordan a strong one," Panetta said.

He added that dozens more troops had arrived in Jordan since then to bolster the mission.

While the US continues to claim that it has no intention of military intervention in the ongoing bloodshed in Syria, Pentagon press secretary George Little issued a statement today saying that "there are various scenarios in which the Assad regime's reprehensible actions could affect our partners in the region.

"For this reason and many others, we are always working on our contingency planning, for which we consult with our friends."

News of the US deployment comes after days of increasing tension along Syria's northern border in which has seen Ankara position firepower on its side.

The Turkish parliament gave the army the green light to launch attacks on Syrian territory after several of its citizens were killed by wayward ammunition aimed at rebel supply lines.

Panetta's bombshell came hours after Turkish military chief General Necdet Ozel threatened to respond with "more force" if any wayward Syrian mortars land on the wrong side of the border.

Clashes continued today in the north of Syria, according to a Turkish media.

The NTV channel reported fighting over the border between 500 Syrian government troops and rebels.

A hundred injured rebels were said to have been ferried into Turkey.