al jazeera

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Turkey has sent troop reinforcement to the Syrian border, after Erdogan's warning that soldiers approaching the border will be treated as target, the Turkish daily Zaman reported citing the Cihan news agency. It said 15 military vehicles, including tanks and cannons, were dispatched to the border from Diyarbakir. Meanwhile, activists in the outskirts of Aleppo say that 280 soldiers defected today in Idlib near the main highway leading to Aleppo, al-Jazeera reports. There is no independent confirmation but if the report is correct it would be one of the largest mass defections so far. According to the activists cited by al-Jazeera, there were clashes between the defectors and the Syrian army. One helicopter was allegedly shot down and six tanks destroyed. Turkey threatens Syria with military retaliation over downed jet: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/26/turkey-threatens-syria-retaliation Latest Syrian Defectors Are From Higher Ranks: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/26/world/middleeast/syrian-military-defections-reported.html?_r=1 Turkey goes to Nato over plane it says Syria downed in international airspace: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jun/24/turkey-plane-shot-down-syria Turkey Turning to NATO Over Downed Jet -- Gulf of Tonkin Style Provocation?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lolRBGLy_Bg&feature=channel&list=UL Al Jazeera -- NATO condemns Syria downing of Turkish jet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGpfGByNboc Al Jazeera -- EU increases sanctions against Syria after jet incident: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KYgzqgLbis Newly-supplied Russian Pantsyr-S1 anti-air missile used to down Turkish warplane?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpCtVmRTrTM&feature=related Syrian army is 'destroyed physically and mentally', says defected Syrian General: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9355017/Syrian-army-is-destroyed-physically-and-mentally-says-defected-Syrian-General.html Kofi Annan: the longer we wait, the darker Syria's future becomes: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9350162/Kofi-Annan-the-longer-we-wait-the-darker-Syrias-future-becomes.html Syria shot down Turkish jet in international airspace, claims foreign minister: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/9352113/Syria-shot-down-Turkish-jet-in-international-airspace-claims-foreign-minister.html