Turkey says 4,000 flee Syria, thousands more at border

GUVECCI, Turkey - More than 4,000 Syrians have fled to Turkey to escape a crackdown on protests against President Bashar Assad and thousands more are sheltering near the border, officials and activists said on Saturday.

Fearing revenge from security forces for clashes in which authorities said 120 troops were killed this week, the refugees streamed out of the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour ahead of a military operation launched by the army there on Friday.