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Conflict In Syria 'In Danger Of Escalating'
Sky News
America has warned that the crisis in Syria is in danger of escalating as Syrian troops are reportedly massing near the Turkish border where thousands of refugees have fled.
US
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the reported move by Syria to surround and target the border town of Khirbat al Joz marks a worrying new phase of Syria 's attempt to quash anti-regime protests.
"If true,
that aggressive action will only exacerbate the already unstable refugee situation in Syria ," Mrs Clinton said.
"Unless the Syrian forces immediately end their attacks and their provocations that are not only
now affecting their own citizens but (raising) the potential of border clashes, then we're going to see an escalation of conflict in the area."
Syrian soldiers stand in front of police outpost near mountains on Syrian side of Turkish border
Hundreds of terrified refugees have crossed into Turkey in the last few days to escape an army crackdown, according to eyewitnesses.
A Turkish Red Crescent official said about 600 Syrians had crossed the border on Thursday morning.
Syrian troops stormed the village of Managh , nine miles south of the border and just north of the
commercial hub of Aleppo , according to residents.
"I was contacted by relatives from Managh. Armoured personnel carriers are firing their machine
guns randomly and people are fleeing the village in all directions," an Aleppo resident said.
It is hard to verify accounts of violence since Syria has expelled many journalists. The Turkish
Foreign Ministry said the border remains open and refugees continued to arrive.
It is a further example of the lengths to which President Assad's regime will go to repress the
people of Syria rather than actually working in a collaborative way to try to resolve the legitimate concerns of the Syrian people.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
In a speech on Monday, Syria 's President Bashar al Assad proposed political reforms in an effort to end the anti-government protests that started in March.
But pictures have emerged which appear to show government forces brutally suppressing opponents of the regime across the country.
Human rights groups say more than 1,300 civilians have been killed across Syria since
mid-March, but anti-Assad protests have continued to grow, especially on Fridays after Muslim prayers.
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Anti-government protests continue inside Syria
Mrs Clinton said that by bringing the conflict so close to Turkey , Mr Assad was taking a dangerous step.
"This is a very worrisome development by the Syrians. They have to know what they're doing and they have to, I assume, know their own history because this is not the first time that they had a
provocation that led the Turks to take action to protect their own interests," she said.
Turkish Red Crescent truck drives past Syrian refugee camp at border zone with Syria
Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu discussed the situation in Syria and the refugee issue with Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem, a Foreign Ministry official said.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry later summoned Syria 's ambassador for consultations, state-run Anatolian news agency reported.
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