- Title: TURKEY/SYRIA: Fighting in Syria edges towards Turkish border
- Date: 7th October 2012
- Summary: SYRIA (SEEN FROM TURKEY) (OCTOBER 6, 2012) (REUTERS) PLUMES OF SMOKE SYRIAN ARMY OUTPOST IN THE MOUNTAINS MORE OF SYRIAN ARMY OUTPOST WITH AUDIO OF GUNFIRE NEAR GUVECCI, TURKEY (OCTOBER 6, 2012) (REUTERS) TURKISH MILITARY TRUCK PATROLLING TURKISH BORDER AREA MORE OF TURKISH MILITARY TRUCK (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FIGHTER FROM THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY (FSA), ABU SAER, SAYIN
- Embargoed: 22nd October 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Turkey, Syrian Arab Republic
- City:
- Country: Turkey Syrian Arab Republic
- Topics: Conflict,International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA1NLEJA1KVVGN3JXZXOF5UG7M3
- Story Text: Fighting in Syria between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters pushes closer to the Turkish border.
Fighting in Syria between troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the Free Syrian Army (FSA) fighters moved closer to the Turkish border on Saturday (October 6).
The constant sound of gunfire and mortar rounds could be heard as residents of a Turkish village gathered on a hillside to watch activity across the valley in Syria.
Footage filmed from inside Turkey showed buildings formally used as outposts and watchtowers by Assad forces now in the hands of the FSA, who fired their weapons in celebration and waved their pre-Baath era Syrian flags.
One FSA fighter, Abu Saer, crossed the border into Turkey and explained that the Free Syrian Army forces have liberated a big part of a village held by loyalist troops.
"The performance of the Free Syrian Army is very high, and thanks to god, they have achieved victory in Kherbet al-Jouz village. They have attacked the army base of Assad's brutal regime that's based in the village and liberated a big part of it, and killed a lot of them", he said.
Rebel forces are riven by divisions, but Syrian government forces appear to lack the numbers to land a knockout blow and permanently hold rebel areas.
Rebels said they captured an air defence base with a cache of missiles outside Damascus on Thursday (October 4), a boost to their campaign after a series of setbacks in the capital.
Turkey returned fire on Saturday after mortar bombs shot from Syria landed in a field close to the village of Guvecci, the day after Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan warned Damascus Turkey would not shy away from war if provoked.
It was the fourth day of Turkish strikes in retaliation for mortar bombs and shelling by Syrian forces that killed five Turkish civilians further east on Wednesday (October 3).
NATO-member Turkey was once an ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad but turned against him after his violent response to an uprising in which more than 30,000 people have died, according to the United Nations.
Turkey has nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees in camps on its territory, has allowed rebel leaders sanctuary and has led calls for Assad to quit. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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