AMMAN — Hundreds of Syrians poured into Jordan early Monday as regime forces reportedly intensified bombing campaigns across southern Syria.
According to the Jordan Armed Forces, some 600 Syrians crossed into the Kingdom early Monday, raising the total number of new arrivals over the past 48 hours to over 1,000.
The influx came as regime forces allegedly intensified shelling across southern Syria, with Jordanian security sources and Syrian rebel officials reporting heavy clashes and bombardment in the border towns of Daal, Al Taybeh, Al Shajarah and Daraa.
Local residents and activists claimed that the shelling directly threatened the lives of some 5,000 displaced civilians who had reportedly sought refuge in the under-siege border towns and villages.
Monday's bombings killed 10 displaced civilians across the border region, according to Free Syrian Army officials, raising to 200 the total number of refugees allegedly killed in Damascus’ ongoing aerial offensive across southern Syria.
The endangered refugees are among an estimated 18,000 displaced civilians who have been prevented by the violence from crossing into Jordan and remain stranded in the border region.
Jordan has opened its borders to over 1 million Syrians since the onset of the conflict in March 2011 — over 600,000 of them classified as refugees.
UN officials have renewed calls on the international community to step up its support to host countries such as Jordan, warning that Syria’s neighbours may reconsider their open-border policies due to dwindling resources and growing security concerns.
