The flow of Syrian refugees arriving in the camp Zaatri in the north of Jordan has doubled over the past week, reaching to 10,200 people, said on Tuesday the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). "We believe that this could mark the beginning of a much greater influx into Jordan," said Melissa Fleming, UNHCR spokesman, at a press conference in Geneva.
"The refugees say there are thousands of people waiting to cross the border. The violence in Deraa, which is not far from the border, is the explanation," she added.
Syrian refugees who arrived in Jordan "reported being shot at while trying to cross the border. They also reported bombings, mortars and other heavy gunfire. " UNHCR also noted a "dramatic increase" in the flow of Syrian refugees into Turkey, with peaks of 5,000 arrivals per day over the past two weeks.
In total, 214,120 Syrians are recorded in four neighboring countries - Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon and Turkey.
Meanwhile, clashes in the eastern suburbs of the capital were reported on Tuesday, said the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (SOHR). The regime's forces bombed the outskirts of Harasta and Irbine Tuesday, said the General Council of the Syrian Revolution (GCSR) in a statement. Shells were fired in Harasta towards Irbine, while helicopters flew over the area.
A resident of Harasta said: "we hear only the sound of explosions in the center and fighter planes crisscross the sky." Clouds of smoke were visible above Qaboun. T
On Monday, 190 people (116 civilians, 40 rebels and 34 soldiers) were killed in Syria, including 60 in the province of Damascus, according to the organization. It reported heavy shelling during the night in the various neighborhood of Damascus, including Zamlaka, Qaboun, Ain Tarma and Jobar.
