71 Syrian soldiers flee to Turkey: report

ANKARA - The Associated Press

AA photo

Turkey’s state-run agency says 71 Syrian soldiers, including two generals and 11 colonels, have fled to Turkey, Anatolia News Agency reported.

Anadolu Agency says today the group arrived in the Turkish border province of Hatay seeking refuge. They were taken to a camp that shelters military defectors, including dozens of other generals.

Meanwhile, 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 neighboring Turkish town of Ceylanpinar closed.

Turkish officials said yesterday 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.