Syrian troops pushed to the Turkish border Thursday, June 23 in their sweep against a 3-month-old pro-democracy movement, sending terrified refugees, including children, sprinting across the frontier to safe havens in Turkey.

Syrian soldiers were patrolling in military vehicles and on foot around the border village of Khirbet al-Jouz, according to AP Television News journalists who watched their movements from the Turkish side.

More than 11,000 Syrians are housed or seeking shelter in Turkish refugee camps, including 600 who crossed over on Thursday, the Turkish Red Crescent said. The refugees came in a convoy of about 20 minibuses and rushed on foot across the border, to be met by Turkish soldiers and escorted to nearby camps.

The deployment was the closest Syrian troops had come to Turkey since the military operation in the area began two weeks ago as Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces tried to extinguish any chance the opposition could gain a territorial base for a wider rebellion.