TURKEY: Syrian refugees report fleeing with a man who becomes paralysed by bullet wounds to his back as they escape shelling and gunfire

Record ID: 280921

  • Title: TURKEY: Syrian refugees report fleeing with a man who becomes paralysed by bullet wounds to his back as they escape shelling and gunfire
  • Date: 22nd June 2012
  • Summary: ANTAKYA, HATAY PROVINCE, TURKEY (JUNE 21, 2012) (AUDIO AS INCOMING) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TURKEY-SYRIA BORDER AREA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN REFUGEE OKBA AMOURI, SAYING: "I swear to God, we escaped from the tanks and planes shelling in Syria. We have left our homes, lands and all of our belongings and came to turkey in which we can find safety, and we came here to join
  • Embargoed: 7th July 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Turkey
  • Country: Turkey
  • Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8YO0FU605A0IEN1Y89OGH9MGQ
  • Story Text: Syrians spilled into Antakya, Turkey, on Thursday (June 21) after a spate of violence in villages near the border, according to a member of the Syrian National Council and refugees.
    One refugee said he was forced to flee tanks and planes that were shelling the region.
    "I swear to God, we escaped from the tanks and planes shelling in Syria. We have left our homes, lands and all of our belongings and came to turkey in which we can find safety, and we came here to join the camp as well," said Okba Amouri.
    Another refugee said a man had became paralysed after being shot in the back as they tried to escape.
    "A person who was wounded in his back and became paralysed was with us there. We left him at hospital and asked the doctors to treat and pay special care to him. We are now going back and if there is fighting, we will fight, otherwise, we will bring our children and families from Turkey, God willing," said Alsheekh Khtaab.
    Syrian National Council member Ahmed Zedan said there had been an upsurge in aggression near the border overnight on Wednesday (June 20).
    "Yesterday there was an aggressive attack on villages surrounding the border, from Armnaz to al-Artab. Consequently more than 2,000 people were misplaced last night," he told Reuters.
    The Syrian government has restricted the entry of journalists since the start of the uprising against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad March 2011 making it difficult to verify accounts.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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