UN says 2,200 Syrian families have rushed to Lebanon in 5 days, fleeing latest clashes

A Syrian refugee woman walks near the tents of a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon over the past days as government forces attack the western town of Qarah near the border with Lebanon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) (The Associated Press)

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A Syrian refugee woman washes dishes outside her tent in a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon, Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon over the past days as government forces attack the western town of Qarah near the border with Lebanon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) (The Associated Press)

Syrian refugees walk outside their tents at a refugee camp in the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, Lebanon, Monday, Nov. 18, 2013. Thousands of Syrians have fled to Lebanon over the past days as government forces attack the western town of Qarah near the border with Lebanon. (AP Photo/Bilal Hussein) (The Associated Press)

BEIRUT – The U.N. refugee agency says 2,200 Syrian families have fled from the latest clashes in their country and crossed into Lebanon over the past five days.

A UNHCR official in Lebanon, Lisa Abou Khaled, said Wednesday that the families made it to the Lebanese town of Arsal, just across the border from Syria, in one of the largest influxes in recent months.

Abou Khaled says the refugees started arriving last Friday amid clashes between Syrian forces and rebels over the strategic town of Qara, which is part of the supply line to opposition-held areas near Damascus.

Syrian government troops seized Qara on Tuesday, but fighting still continues in the area.

Some 1.4 million Syrians, including 800,000 registered refugees, have fled to Lebanon since Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011.