[Debate] Unconfirmed reports - Syria , , Syrian forces fire on Turkish refugee camp

[Riaz K Tayob]

[The grand old tradition of rumour mongering for war... of course 
unconfirmed is the by line...


  Syrian forces fire on Turkish refugee camp

Unconfirmed reports say two people were killed at camp close to Syrian 
border, as concerns mount over ceasefire plan

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  *
    Ian Black <http://www.guardian.co.uk/profile/ianblack>, Middle East
    editor, and agencies
  * guardian.co.uk <http://www.guardian.co.uk/>, Monday 9 April 2012
    13.40 BST
  * Article history
    <http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/09/syrian-forces-injure-three-turkish-refugee-camp#history-link-box>


Kilis
A Syrian refugee, wounded in shootings along the border between Syria 
and Turkey, lies in a hospital bed, on 9 April, 2012 in Kilis. 
Photograph: Ihlas News Agency/AFP/Getty Images

Syrian forces have fired across the border into Turkey 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/turkey>, hitting a refugee camp, in the 
latest incident to fuel mounting international concern about escalating 
violence hours before a UN deadline 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/02/syria-deadline-annan-plan?INTCMP=SRCH> 
to end the crisis.

In the first such incident since Turkey began sheltering thousands of 
Syrians last summer, five people -- three Syrians, one Turkish 
translator and one Turkish policeman -- were wounded inside the camp 
near the town of Kilis, in the south-western Gaziantep province, 
according to the governor Yusuf Odabas, quoted by the Associated Press.

Mohammad Abdelqader, a refugee in the camp who told Reuters he had 
witnessed Monday's shootings, said two Syrians had been killed and two 
more had been injured. The report could not be independently confirmed.

Meanwhile, China called on the Syrian government and opposition to 
comply with a UN-backed plan for a ceasefire and negotiations, as hopes 
faded that an agreement could be reached by Tuesday morning's deadline.

Turkish refugee camp

China called on both sides to abide by ceasefire and troop withdrawal 
promises, co-operate with Kofi Annan's mediation efforts and "promote a 
political solution to the conflict".

Annan had called for a pullout to be completed by Tuesday morning, with 
a ceasefire taking effect 48 hours later, as the first stage in a 
six-point international plan for political negotiations between the 
regime of President Bashar al-Assad 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/bashar-al-assad> and its opponents.

Turkey's deputy foreign minister, Naci Koru, was quoted on Monday as 
saying the deadline had essentially become irrelevant. "10 April has 
become void. After Kofi Annan's visit tomorrow [to Turkey] a new stage 
will start," he was quoted as saying on the website of the Turkish 
broadcaster NTV.

The mounting concern came as Syria 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/syria>'s foreign minister, Walid 
al-Muallem, flew to Moscow for emergency talks on the crisis. In 
February, Russia and China used their vetoes 
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/04/assad-obama-resign-un-resolution?INTCMP=SRCH> 
to protect Syria from censure in the UN security council, but since then 
they have backed the Annan plan.

The UN estimates that 9,000 people have been killed due to the violence 
in Syria in the last 13 months. Reports from local activists said 60 
people had been killed across the country on Sunday.

Syrian state media said on Monday that Assad's government stood by its 
commitment to the Annan plan and blamed "armed groups" for failing to 
provide written guarantees that they would stop fighting before regime 
forces withdrew from cities.

"Annan has not offered written guarantees to the Syrian government that 
the armed groups agreed to stop violence, nor has he offered guarantees 
that Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey will commit to stop funding and 
arming terrorist groups," the foreign ministry said.

Opposition activists poured scorn on Assad's demand for guarantees and 
said it was consistent with his strategy of buying time and exploiting 
the divisions of opponents at home and abroad. But many also blamed 
Annan for being naive to believe Assad had any intention of 
compromising. "The Syrian regime has just given Annan the finger," said one.

Annan, the UN envoy and former secretary-general, is reportedly heading 
to Turkey to inspect refugee camps there.

Human Rights Watch, said Syrian security forces had summarily executed 
more than 100 -- and possibly many more -- civilians and wounded or 
captured opposition fighters during recent attacks on cities and towns. 
It said many of the incidents took place in March this year.

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