Murad Sezer/Reuters
Syrians fled from Ras al-Ain after an airstrike by Syrian forces on Monday.
GAZIANTEP, Turkey — A Syrian MIG-25 jet bombed the rebel-held town of Ras al-Ain a few yards from the Turkish border on Monday, Syrian witnesses said.
Veli Gurgah/Anadolu Agency, via European Pressphoto Agency
Smoke rose from Ras al-Ain as it was bombed.
Murad Sezer/Reuters
Syrians crossed into Turkey after the airstrike.
Murad Sezer/Reuters
A boy was wounded in the attack.
The attack demolished at least 15 buildings and killed many civilians, Nezir Alan, a doctor who witnessed the bombing, said. Local officials, quoted by The Associated Press, said at least six people were killed, but Dr. Alan said the toll was higher.
“We pulled bodies of 12 people from the rubble and are now trying to reach bodies of 8 others,” he said in a telephone interview. “There are around 70 injured, 50 of whom were in critical condition, and they are being transferred to Turkish hospitals across the border.”
Turkish fighter jets were seen in Turkish airspace shortly after the explosion, and a Syrian helicopter hovered above Ras al-Ain, which is only few yards from Ceylanpinar, a Turkish border town, Syrian witnesses said. “The plane appeared in seconds, dropped a bomb and killed children. Here is total chaos,” Dr. Alan said.
Ambulances were rushed to Ceylanpinar, Haber Turk, a private news television station, reported.
Windows of shops and houses in Ceylanpinar were shattered, and people on both sides of the border were seen running in panic, while military vehicles raced down streets as a huge cloud of smoke hung over the area, Haber Turk footage showed minutes after the explosion.
There were no immediate reports of any deaths or injuries on the Turkish side of the border.
Clashes in Ras al-Ain have intensified in recent days, prompting thousands of Syrians to seek refuge in Turkey.
Civilians in Ceylanpinar and other nearby towns were advised not to travel in areas close to the border.
Five Turkish civilians were killed in October when a Syrian shell landed in Akcakale, another border town about 75 miles west of Ceylanpinar, an act that prompted the Turkish Parliament to revise engagement rules and allow the military to retaliate in case of a direct threat from the border region.
The Turkish Army has increased its deployment along the 550-mile border with Syria since June, after Syria shot down a Turkish military jet, straining already tense relations between Ankara and Damascus.
The Turkish government is also considering asking NATO to station Patriot missiles in its border region to counter potential attacks from Syria.
Syrian Jet Strikes Close to Border With Turkey
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Syrian Jet Strikes Close to Border With Turkey
