BEIRUT, Lebanon: Syrian army forces spread through a restive mountainous area near the Turkish border Thursday as the death toll from a two-day military siege rose to 19 people, according to activists and a witness. The action by Syrian troops in the northwestern area of Jabal Al-Zawiya appeared to be aimed at preventing residents from fleeing to Turkey, where more than 10,000 Syrians have already taken shelter in refugee camps, activists say. The refugees have been a source of deep embarrassment to Damascus, one of the most tightly controlled regimes in the Middle East. “They fear there will be sympathy for the people who are fleeing, and they are frightened that this will cause international pressure to mount on the regime,” said Mustafa Osso, a prominent Syrian-based human rights activist. Only five Syrians made it across the border Thursday, the lowest number in days, said Turkish officials.
