The Syrian military has fired a ballistic missile towards cities in the north, NATO says, making it the third such launch in recent days, BBC News reported.

A spokesman told the BBC the missiles were unguided and had been fired in the direction of Aleppo and Idlib. The Syrian government has denied using the missiles.

Last month, NATO approved the deployment of Patriot anti-missile batteries along Turkey's border with Syria.

A NATO spokeswoman said they had detected the launch of a ballistic missile inside Syria on Wednesday, January 9 following similar launches last week. The spokeswoman said the targets appeared to be key road junctions and former government bases overrun by rebels.

Scuds are in the Syrian military's armoury, but the official said NATO could not confirm the type of missile used. For NATO, the move will underscore the importance of using Patriots to defend Turkish airspace.

US batteries could be operational within the next few days, but Dutch and German batteries may not be in place for some weeks.

Last month, NATO condemned the use of ballistic missiles saying it showed "utter disregard" for the Syrian people.

Rebel forces have gained control of swathes of northern Syria in recent months and Aleppo is largely under rebel control. The UN estimates that more than 60,000 people.