BICOM

Syrian fighter jets reportedly struck the Yarmouk camp in south Damascus yesterday, home to much of the country’s half a million Palestinian population.

Opposition activists, who support the overthrow of Syria’s embattled President Assad, reported that between eight and twenty five people were killed when warplanes struck near the Abdul Qader Husseini mosque. Both Assad’s government and Syrian opposition forces have enlisted and armed Palestinians refugees during the 21-month conflict. Heavy fighting has reportedly taken place between the two factions over the last twelve days.

The air strikes prompted a response from the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership, which has so far sought to remain on the sidelines of the Syrian conflict. PA President Mahmoud Abbas expressed “great concern, the fact that our people are being forced into the unfortunate conflict in Syria.” PA Prime Minister Salaam Fayyad also called on President Assad to “keep them [the Palestinians] out” of the fighting. However, Secretary General of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Yasser Abed Rabbo took clear aim at Assad, saying that the attack at Yarmouk, “Serves as indication to the destructive and homicidal ways of the Syrian regime.”

Meanwhile, Haaretz reports that the increased fighting in Syria has prompted a sharp increase in the number of Syrian refugees entering Jordan over the last few days. The report indicates that the use of Scud missiles by Assad’s forces last week in civilian areas has increased fear among Syrians that the Assad may use of chemical weapons. International aid agencies estimate more than 400,000 refugees are now in Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon. The Jordanian government has previously expressed concern at coping with large number of refugees. Yesterday, Andrew Harper, head of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees in Jordan warned of a “humanitarian crisis becoming  major disaster” in Jordan.