One killed as hundreds of Syrians flee into Lebanon

One killed as hundreds of Syrians flee into Lebanon

2011-05-15 04:41:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

BEIRUT (BNO NEWS) -- One man was killed and three others were injured on Saturday after crossing the Syrian-Lebanese border, the Daily Star reported.

One man died of gunshot wounds to his back while on his way to a Lebanese hospital, following a security crackdown on the Syrian town of Tall Kalakh. The other three wounded, including two women in their 20s, also suffered gunshot wounds.

The northern town of Wadi Khaled in Lebanon, near the Syrian border, is witnessing a high influx of Syrian refugees. According to security sources, at least 1,000 refugees have crossed the border so far today.

"The influx of Syrian refugees today can be described as the largest by far," a security source said.

Tall Kalakh residents who crossed into Lebanon told The Daily Star that the Syrian army had surrounded the town and arrested people who were involved in Friday's "peaceful" protests.

Syrian refugees have been crossing into Lebanon since April when Syrian authorities began a violent crackdown on protesters. According to Human Rights Watch, Syria's security forces have killed some 700 people since demonstrations began on March 16. More than 100 protesters were killed on April 22 and 23 alone, and at least several thousand detained.

Meanwhile, the United Nation's refugee agency and the Ministry of Social Affairs have been working together to deal with a possible large rise in Syrian families entering Lebanon.

"We are putting that together but it is not finalized yet because we don't have direction from the government and we don't want to give the illusion that my ministry is in charge of the situation if an emergency occurs," Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Salim Sayegh told The Daily Star.

"We cannot consider that there is now a Syrian refugee issue in Lebanon. It's completely unpredictable. We have completed mapping the possibilities of welcoming larger numbers. We have the capacity, so we can channel more people if the need arises. But there has been no means delivered yet to really tackle the issue," he added.

Protesters have been demanding the ouster of President al-Assad, who took over the post from his father Hafez al-Assad in 2000, and calling for greater freedoms. The country has been ruled by the Baath Party since 1963.

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