Beirut – The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday in Beirut that nine Syrian refugees were killed while they were trying to smuggle themselves across the border into Turkey.
It said 10 people were also wounded, as the civilians, who were mainly coming from Latakia and the Idlib provinces along the border, were shot at by Turkish border guards during the night.
The activists based at the Turkish-Syria border described the incident as “a massacre committed against unarmed Syrian civilians.”
Amnesty International reported last month that Turkish security forces have shot and injured civilians, including children, who out of desperation have attempted to cross the border unofficially with the help of smugglers.
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It said Syrian hospitals were receiving injured people almost daily as a result of the shooting incidents.
Officially, Turkey claims it has an open border policy for Syrians.
However, the process of getting into Turkey is highly selective and tens of thousands of people are stranded on the Syrian side.
Turkey hosts more than 2 million Syrian refugees. (dpa/NAN)