Ankara, Feb 9 (IANS): Turkish security forces "neutralised" at least five members of Syria's Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry has said.

Turkish forces responded to a "harassment fire" opened by the YPG in northern Syria against a border post of the Turkish military in southeastern Mardin city, the Ministry tweeted on Tuesday.

At least four YPG fighters were "neutralised" as a result of the punishment fire, the Ministry added.

In another incident, one YPG member was "neutralised" after the group attempted to attack Turkey's Operation Peace Spring zone in northern Syria, the Ministry said.

The term "neutralised" was used by Turkish authorities to imply the fighters were killed, wounded, or captured in security operations, Xinhua news agency reported.

Turkish forces and the YPG members often exchange fire on the Syrian border, but the tension increased in the region since the killing of three Turkish soldiers on January 8 when a bomb planted by the YPG exploded on Turkey's border with Syria.

Last week, Turkey staged airstrikes targeting the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) in northern Iraq and YPG in northern Syria. Ankara sees the YPG as the Syrian branch of the PKK which has been rebelling against the Turkish government for more than three decades.