UN fears for safety of Iraqi refugees in Syria after family of 7 found shot dead
July 20, 2012 - 5:46 AM
GENEVA - The U.N. refugee agency says it fears for the safety of 88,000 Iraqi refugees in Syria, after an Iraqi refugee family of seven was found shot dead in their Damascus apartment.
Agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says the family was "murdered" by unknown assailants and three other Iraqi refugees were killed by gunfire last week.
She told reporters Friday in Geneva that thousands of refugees, mainly Iraqi, who have been living in the Damascus suburb of Seida Zeinab have fled their homes due to violence and "targeted threats."
Fleming said the agency was told that Iraq sent two planes to retrieve its citizens living in Syria, and plans to send more.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012