Syria Forces Open Fire on Refugees Crossing Into Jordan
Syrian forces have opened fire on civilians fleeing to neighboring Jordan, killing at least one refugee and injuring dozens, activists and relief workers said on Sunday.
A Jordanian security source confirmed that Syrian soldiers opened fire on hundreds of civilians attempting to cross the border on Saturday.
Aid workers said the attack near the Syrian border city of Naseeb left many refugees suffering from bullet wounds and burns. They said some 180 arrived in Jordan on Saturday.
The Kitab Al Sunna Society, a non-governmental group that helps refugees, said dozens of unaccompanied children were among the new arrivals, raising fears that their parents were either killed or arrested.
Dozens of refugees were rushed to state-run hospitals. One person died in hospital, aid workers said.
Opposition activists say the border attack is designed to prevent rebels and army defectors from fleeing to Jordan.
Jordan has witnessed an influx of Syrian refugees in the days since the announcement of UN-brokered ceasefire earlier this month, which according to relief agencies has reached 500 each day.