Nearly 700 Syrians 'flee to Turkey in single day'

Nearly 700 Syrian refugees poured into Turkey in 24 hours, bringing to more than 24,000 the total number of Syrians seeking haven in the neighbouring country, a Turkish official said on Saturday.

Turkey is home to a growing number of refugees fleeing the unrest in Syria, where more than 9,000 people have been killed since March last year, according to UN figures. Last week saw a record number of some 2,800 Syrians entering Turkey in a 36-hour period to escape a helicopter-backed assault by Syrian troops. (AFP)