Turkish border guards gun down 3 Syrians: Report

Turkish border guards have shot dead three Syrians who were trying to cross into Turkey, a report says.

According to the report released by the so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), two women were among those killed on Friday, while attempting to cross into the Turkish territory from the border town of Tal Abyad, located in Syria’s northern Raqqa Province.

SOHR Head Rami Abdel Rahman told Qatar-based al-Jazeera news network that at least seven other Syrians were also wounded by the Turkish soldiers along the border.

Citing witnesses to Friday’s incident, Abdel Rahman said that the Turkish border guards urged the Syrians to “back off and return” before opening fire on them at close range.

The casualties were the latest caused by lethal shootings by the Turkish troops targeting those fleeing from the conflict in Syria, he noted, adding, “Since May 30, at least 29 Syrian civilians have been killed by Turkish border guards.”

Syria has been fighting against massive foreign-sponsored militancy since early 2011. The crisis in the Arab country has reportedly killed an estimated 240,000 people and forced over 3.8 million others to take refuge in neighboring countries, including Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon.

Terrorists operating in Syria have long enjoyed the support of certain regional countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, according to reports.

Reports show that Ankara actively trains and arms the militants active in Syria, and also facilitates the safe passage of would-be foreign terrorists into crisis-hit areas.