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120 Syrian refugees arrive in Turkey

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The group of 122 people mostly from the northwest Syrian town of Jisr al-Shughur crossed the border illegally and arrived late Tuesday in the village of Karbeyaz Koyu in Turkey's southern Hatay province, villagers told AFP.

Police set up a security perimeter around the refugees, put up in the village hall, and carried out identification procedures before taking them to a refugee camp set up by the Red Crescent at Yayladag, 45 kilometres (30 miles) to the west.

None of the refugees was injured.

Villagers said a previous group of 45 Syrians had passed through the village on Saturday before reaching Yayladag camp.

Turkey and Syria share an 800-kilometre (500-mile) border.

Syrian dissidents had warned on Tuesday of a harsh backlash as troops headed for Jisr al-Shughur after the authorities said 120 policemen had been massacred there by "armed gangs."

The Syrian Revolution 2011, a Facebook group spurring anti-regime protests, appealed to the army to protect civilians against regime agents.

"Thirteen military vehicles are heading to Jisr al-Shughur," where the alleged massacre took place and which has been the focus of military operations since Saturday, an activist in the town told AFP by telephone.

 

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2011