Off the wire
• Chairman Mao Zedong's photographer dies  • 1st LD: Iraq gets "balanced support" from Iran, U.S. in fight against IS  • Spanish housing prices increase 1.8 pct in Q4  • NATO seeks deeper cooperation with Jordan  • Dutch prosecutors fine 3 for racist online posts  • Taiwan exports fall 6.7 pct in February  • UAE to host 2019 AFC Asian Cup  • Roundup: Indonesia delays execution amid int'l pressure  • 1st LD Writethru-Roundup: Hungary should explore southern markets: PM  • 6 new genes linked to leprosy found by Singaporean scientists  
You are here: 　 Home

Turkey closes two border crossings with Syria due to clashes

Xinhua, March 9, 2015 Adjust font size:

Turkey has closed two border crossings with Syria Sunday due to clashes between differing factions of Syrian rebels inside the neighboring country, Dogan News Agency reported Monday.

The Turkish government suspended arrivals at Oncupinar crossing in the southern Kilis province as well as Cilvegozu crossing in the town of Reyhanli of the southern Hatay province, allowing through only Syrian citizens who want to return to their homeland and cargo trucks into Syria, according to the report.

Clashes between the Free Syrian Army and Islamic State (IS) fighters increased in the Syrian town of Azaz, in addition to military operations by the Syrian regime near Aleppo by Turkey's Oncupinar crossing.

Turkey is facing difficulty protecting its border due to the neighboring Syrian conflict which has spilled over into the Turkish side along with a number of refugees and illegal smugglers.

The Turkish military employs advanced technological methods, such as thermal cameras, to secure its border. Endit