(GUVECCI, Turkey) — Along the Turkey-Syria border last week there were reports that the Syrian army was just a few kilometers away. Border towns were emptied, thousands fled in fear. On Thursday, those Syrian forces finally came into view in the hills across from Guvecci, Turkey, reportedly storming the Syrian border town of Khirbet al-Jouz.
A Syrian flag was raised over a watchtower where a Turkish flag had been flown by the refugees — soldiers and armored personnel carriers were visible. Snipers were reportedly on rooftops.
So what does this mean for the thousands still camped out inside Syria?
AFP reports several hundred broke through a fence to get into Turkey.
A spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees tells ABC News that the Red Crescent believes at least 600 came across into camps Thursday. A Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman says they have sent more buses over than usual to pick up displaced Syrians but won’t know the final count until Friday.
There were 10,224 refugees in Turkish camps Thursday morning — a number that’s been slowly decreasing in the last few days as Syrians try to head home.
Copyright 2011 ABC News Radio
via Syrian Army Visible from Turkey; Extra Buses Sent for Fleeing Syrians – World News – ABC News Radio.
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