06.09.2012. Jordan strengthened its forces along the border with Syria on
Thursday in response to Damascus’ shelling of a southern rebel
stronghold officials fear will trigger a mass refugee exodus.
According
to a security source, Amman nearly “doubled” border patrols on Thursday
in anticipation of a mass influx of refugees from nearby Tal Shihab — a
key rebel stronghold in southern Syria that has been the focus of a
two-day military strike by Damascus.
The
increased military presence came as Damascus announced that it had
“liberated” the Tal Shihab region, which has long served as a safe haven
and transit point for thousands of the 187,000 Syrians who have fled to
Jordan since the outbreak of the crisis.
