4,000 Syrians Flee to Turkey

Syrian forces attacked the northern town of Maaret al-Numan, and continued to open fire on protestors elsewhere in the country on Friday. Forces fired tank shells at the town after thousands of protesters overwhelmed security officers and burned the town’s courthouse and police station. At least 21 people have been killed in the latest violence, and hundreds of additional refugees have fled to neighboring Turkey. Turkish news media has reported that nearly 4,000 Syrians are now seeking refuge there. Turkey’s foreign minister, Ahmet Davutoglu said that President Bashar al-Assad should act “more decisively” to implement political reforms. As the reported death toll in Syria passes 1,200, Britain, France, Germany, and Portugal are pushing for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would condemn the violence, but Russia has said it will not support such a resolution.