ANKARA, Turkey — A Turkish official says more than 1,300 Syrians fled to Turkey overnight to escape spreading violence.
The government official said at about 1000 GMT (6 a.m. EDT) that 1,328 refugees had crossed the border so far on Tuesday — nearly double the number of refugees who reached Turkey on Monday.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with government rules.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says fighting has extended to new parts of Aleppo, which is close to the border with Turkey.
The new arrivals would increase the number of Syrians who have found refuge in Turkey close to 48,000. Turkey is also a staging ground for rebels fighting Bashar Assad’s regime.
