GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Dozens of frightened Syrians with mud covering their boots and clothes clambered to a Turkish village on Tuesday to find bread for families waiting across the border in Syria in sodden make-shift camps.

A night of torrential downpours worsened the plight of the thousands of Syrians sheltering in the hills within sight of the Turkish border, ready to join some 8,500 of their compatriots in Turkey if Syrian forces advance toward them.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Two Syrians entered Turkey early Monday, just 36 kilometres apart, one a bride driven through the official border in a wedding car, the other an army deserter risking his life ferrying wounded .

Their stories epitomise the divisions that are threatening to tear Syria apart.

Their different journeys reflect a surreal situation, in which terrified refugees descend from the hills to seek shelter wherever they can enter Turkey, while close by normal traffic continues at official border crossings.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Only a line of barbed wire separates Syria from Turkey along this stretch of their 800 km border and villagers on both sides have used the hidden paths crisscrossing the hills to visit each other for years.

But what was once a casual trip is now to them a matter of life or death.

Mehmet is one of those with relatives on the Turkish side who can smuggle him into the village of Guvecci for food and supplies to take back to his hungry family in Syria.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Syrian tanks stormed a border town overnight, residents said on Sunday, in the latest assault to crush a three-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad that has driven thousands of refugee to flee to Turkey.

In a pattern witnessed in other cities and towns besieged by troops and armor following street protests demanding political freedoms and an end to Assad’s autocratic rule, residents said loyalist forces commanded by Assad’s brother Maher pushed into Jisr al-Shughour.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Hundreds of Syrians fled to Turkey on Saturday to escape a military assault to quash a three-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Witnesses said more than 4,000 Syrians have crossed over and up to 10,000 had taken shelter among trees near the border since forces commanded by Assad’s brother Maher sent tanks and troops into the northwestern province of Idlib.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Hundreds of Syrians fled to Turkey Saturday to escape a military assault to quash a three-month uprising against President Bashar al-Assad.

Witnesses said more than 4,000 Syrians have crossed over and up to 10,000 had taken shelter among trees near the border since forces commanded by Assad’s brother Maher sent tanks and troops into the northwestern province of Idlib.

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

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Terrified Syrians continued to stream into Turkey Friday, crowding into refugee camps already teeming with mostly women and children.

Hundreds were picked up by scores of minibuses hurtling through winding roads in villages near the border, itself only marked with barbed wire and a military road on the Turkish side.

GUVECCI, Turkey (Reuters) – Turkey is considering creating a buffer zone on its border with Syria if hundreds of thousands flee the unrest there, a Turkish newspaper report on Friday.

Nearly 3,000 Syrians have fled into southern Turkey fearing a military assault and the Syrian army has begun a military operation near the border in the town of Jisr al-Shughour, Syrian television said on Friday.

YAYLADAGI, Turkey (Reuters) – A Syrian town awaiting an army assault was nearly empty, fleeing refugees said as they crossed the border into nearby Turkey where they are shepherded into make-shift camps.

Turkey’s Red Crescent set up one camp five weeks ago on the grounds of a disused tobacco factory on the outskirts of Yayladagi, a sleepy village of 6,300 where many speak Arabic as a first language and have families scattered both sides of the border which snakes its way through verdant green hills.