More than 5,000 Syrian refugees cross into Turkey

ANKARA, Turkey – A government official says more than 5,000 Syrians have crossed into Turkey overnight to flee the violence in their country.

An official at the government's crisis management center said Friday the Syrians crossed into the Turkish border provinces of Mardin, Sanliurfa and Hatay, raising the number of refugees in the country to close to 120,000. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.

Earlier, the state-run Anadolu Agency said a group of Syrian soldiers, including two generals and 11 colonels, had fled to Turkey with their families seeking refuge and were taken to a camp that shelters military defectors.