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| This picture was taken on May 14, 2011. Since the crackdown began on anti-government protesters in Syria, large numbers of refugees have crossed into Lebanon. |
BEIRUT: Around one thousand Syrian refugees have crossed into Lebanon since Thursday, security sources told The Daily Star Saturday, six with gunshot wounds.
One military source said the six Syrians, who underwent major surgery after being transferred to a hospital in Akkar, were soldiers who told doctors they had defied Syrian authorities’ orders to shoot civilians.
The refugees fled mainly into the northern town of Wadi Khaled, about 5 kilometers from the Lebanon-Syrian border, and into the Akkar region.
Syrian activists speaking to Associated Press upped the death toll of Friday’s protests to 20 Saturday, as security forces continued the three-month crackdown on anti-government protesters.
The Local Coordination Committees, a main activists’ group, said Friday it had the names of 14 civilians killed in the merchant city of Homs, the impoverished town of Kiswa south of Damascus and in the residential district of Barzeh in the capital.
Another protester was shot dead in the town of Qusair, a rights group said.
Protests also erupted in western coastal cities and eastern provinces near Iraq. Syrian troops swept to the northern border with Turkey Thursday, prompting another 1,500 refugees to flee across the frontier.
Syrian television said Friday army units were “completing their deployment” in border villages. It said there had been no casualties during the operation and that soldiers were greeted with traditional welcomes of flowers and rice by residents.
Human rights organizations have estimated that around 4,000 Syrians have taken refuge in Lebanon since the crackdown began.
Some refugees have crossed through the Arida border crossing, while others have came through the connecting river of Nahr al-Kabir. Some are residing with relatives in the Akkar region, which has close links to southern Syrian towns, while others are staying in tents provided by non-governmental organziations.
Some 11,000 refugees are also estimated to have fled to refugee camps across the Turkish border.
President Bashar Assad has repeatedly described protests in the country as a conspiracy against the government.
The Syrian government’s crackdown – which Syrian rights groups say has led to the death of 1,300 protesters – has prompted international condemnation.
Several countries have pushed for a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn the violence and on Friday the European Union announced extended sanctions against Syria. Targets of the sanctions included three commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard accused of helping Damascus curb dissent. Syria denies Iran has played any role in tackling the unrest. - With AP, Reuters
One military source said the six Syrians, who underwent major surgery after being transferred to a hospital in Akkar, were soldiers who told doctors they had defied Syrian authorities’ orders to shoot civilians.
The refugees fled mainly into the northern town of Wadi Khaled, about 5 kilometers from the Lebanon-Syrian border, and into the Akkar region.
Syrian activists speaking to Associated Press upped the death toll of Friday’s protests to 20 Saturday, as security forces continued the three-month crackdown on anti-government protesters.
The Local Coordination Committees, a main activists’ group, said Friday it had the names of 14 civilians killed in the merchant city of Homs, the impoverished town of Kiswa south of Damascus and in the residential district of Barzeh in the capital.
Another protester was shot dead in the town of Qusair, a rights group said.
Protests also erupted in western coastal cities and eastern provinces near Iraq. Syrian troops swept to the northern border with Turkey Thursday, prompting another 1,500 refugees to flee across the frontier.
Syrian television said Friday army units were “completing their deployment” in border villages. It said there had been no casualties during the operation and that soldiers were greeted with traditional welcomes of flowers and rice by residents.
Human rights organizations have estimated that around 4,000 Syrians have taken refuge in Lebanon since the crackdown began.
Some refugees have crossed through the Arida border crossing, while others have came through the connecting river of Nahr al-Kabir. Some are residing with relatives in the Akkar region, which has close links to southern Syrian towns, while others are staying in tents provided by non-governmental organziations.
Some 11,000 refugees are also estimated to have fled to refugee camps across the Turkish border.
President Bashar Assad has repeatedly described protests in the country as a conspiracy against the government.
The Syrian government’s crackdown – which Syrian rights groups say has led to the death of 1,300 protesters – has prompted international condemnation.
Several countries have pushed for a United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn the violence and on Friday the European Union announced extended sanctions against Syria. Targets of the sanctions included three commanders of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard accused of helping Damascus curb dissent. Syria denies Iran has played any role in tackling the unrest. - With AP, Reuters
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