Syria Rebels Capture Another Turkey Border Crossing

Border Post Has Fallen, Turkey Confirms

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.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.