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Syrian rebels celebrate after capturing a military compound in a town near the
border with Turkey. Amateur footage obtained by Reuters appears to show fighters
from the Free Syrian Army in Ras al-Ain town. Rebels said they seized the area
from government troops - some of which appeared to be taken prisoner. At least 10
people were killed in the fighting. From Turkey's side of the border, rebels
were seen moving around the town while Turkish soldiers observed. Officials said
the battle had prompted most of the town's 50,000 residents to flee, with many
heading over the border into Turkey. Over a hundred thousand refugees are now
sheltering in camps across the country.
Thousands of Syrians fled their country on Friday (November 9) in one of the
biggest refugee exoduses of the 20-month civil war after rebels seized a border
town. The United Nations warned that millions more people still in Syria will
need help as winter sets in. Around 9,000 Syrian refugees had fled to Turkey in
the 24 hours by Friday, the U.N. refugee agency says making it one of the largest
single day influxes, while Turkish state media said 26 defecting Syrian army
officers had also arrived.