Syria Rebels Capture Another Turkey Border Crossing

Border Post Has Fallen, Turkey Confirms

by Jason Ditz, September 19, 2012

The long border between Syria and Turkey includes seven principle border crossings, and with the Turkish government openly backing several Syrian rebel factions in the civil war, they are eager to control as many of those crossings as possible.

They have claimed another today, according to Turkish officials, who say that the Tel Abyad border post has fallen to the rebels and the Syrian flag has been torn down. It is the third of seven crossings now under complete rebel control.

Significant clashes were reported at the area around the crossing yesterday, with gunfire spilling over into Turkey and wounding a civilian. The Turkish government evacuated civilians from the border town of Akcakale.

The acquisition of new border crossings will ease the flow of foreign fighters and weaponry into Syria for the rebel factions, while adding to the tensions between Turkey and Syria, which has complained to the UN Security Council that Turkey is giving de facto access to al-Qaeda for attacks inside Syria.

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