Thousands flee Syria in fear of army crackdown

MORE than 2,400 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape a feared army crackdown, officials said yesterday, in another sign that President Bashar al-Assad’s struggle with protesters is disturbing Syria’s neighbours.

With international concern growing over Syria’s repression of pro-democracy protests, Britain, France, Germany and Portugal have asked the UN Security Council to condemn Assad.

However, veto-holding Russia has said it opposes any such council measure.