Weapons fire cracks through the air of this Syrian border town.

President Bashar al-Assad's forces are bombarding Ras al-Ain with helicopters and artillery fire, as rebels fight to hold the town they claimed last week.

This Turkish resident says the violence has spilled over the border, forcing some to send their families away.

International powers have so far shied away from intervention in the region.

But Turkey - once Assad's close ally - is considering asking NATO to deploy Patriot missiles along its border.

Any placement of surface-to-air missiles could be the first step towards enforcing a no-fly zone over Syria.