Turkish border guards allegedly killed at least 11 refugees Saturday, including several children, as they tried to flee war-torn Syria.
British violence monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights released a statement Sunday, accusing Turkey of killing families “indiscriminately” as they were trying to cross the border. It is unclear when the “massacre” took place, but several human rights organizations claim the death toll is expected to rise, as many victims are in critical condition.
“Turkish border guards have committed and are committing massacres against several refugees fleeing from the brutality of the regime and its bombardment since the beginning of the year,” the Turkish Observatory for Human Rights officials said in a statement.
The Turkish military confirms that there was an incident, but it denies that any shots were fired.
“Last night there was an attempt to cross the border illegally but no shots were fired directly on people,” the Turkish military said in a statement. “After warning shots, a group of seven to eight people ran towards the woods.”
The Syrian National Coalition, a group based in Turkey, confirmed the report, and said it was surprised that Turkey “denies this terrible tragedy against our brothers fleeing the regime.”
At least 60 civilians have been reportedly shot while trying to cross the border in 2016. A handful of these deaths have been confirmed. (RELATED: Turkey Kills Refugees Crossing Border Illegally)
Turkey is currently hosting more than 2.7 million registered Syrian refugees.
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