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Number of defected Syrian generals in Turkey reaches 12

25 June 2012 20:38 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A total of 32 Syrians, including eight defected army personnel and their families, arrived in Turkey overnight Sunday, a Turkish official told Xinhua Monday on condition of anonymity, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Among the 32 Syrians are a general, two colonels, one lieutenant colonel, two majors and two lieutenants, putting the number of generals defected from the Syrian army to seek shelter in Turkey at 12.

The defections came three days after Syria shot down a Turkish aircraft, which Syrian officials said had violated the country’s airspace and further strained relations between the two former allies.

So far, the Syrian defectors were taking shelter in a refugee camp in Turkey’s southern Hatay province bordering Syria.

Currently, Turkey is hosting more than 33,000 Syrian refugees in camps in southern provinces.

Turkey, once a close ally of Damascus, has imposed on Syria a series of sanctions, including an arms embargo, due to its alleged crackdown on anti-government protesters.