Two Syrian generals defect to Turkey

Group of 71 people, including 11 colonels and families of the defectors, taken to refugee camp

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9 November 2012, 12:18 pm Edit

An illustrative photo of a Turkish military station. (photo credit: AP)

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — Turkey’s state-run agency says a group of Syrian soldiers, including two generals and 11 colonels, have fled to Turkey with their families.

Anadolu Agency says Friday the group of 71 people 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 Thursday 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.