8,000 Syrians flee to Turkey
Thousands flee war-torn Syria in cover of night; Turkey says over 120,000 people have sought refuge on its soil since Damascus uprising began
Some 8,000 Syrian refugees fled to Turkey overnight amid escalating clashes between rebel forces and troops loyal to Damascus near the border, a Foreign Ministry official said on Friday.
The latest influx brought the total number of Syrian refugees in Turkey to more than 120,000, he added.
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Meanwhile, Turkey's state-run news agency says 71 Syrian soldiers, including two generals and 11 colonels, have fled to Turkey as well.
The Anadolu Agency said Friday that the group arrived at the Turkish border province of Hatay seeking refuge. They were taken to a camp that shelters military defectors, including dozens of other generals.
Clashes between Syrian regime forces and rebels continued for a second day around the town of Ras Al Ayn, in Al Hasaka province in northeastern Syria, forcing Turkish authorities to keep schools in the neighbouring Turkish town of Ceylanpinar closed.
Turkish officials said Thursday the rebels had taken control of the border crossing in Ras Al Ayn but clashes continued around a security building.
Turkey is sheltering more than 112,000 Syrian refugees.
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