December 2011 Syrian–Turkish border clash

{{Short description|Unsuccessful attempt by armed men to infiltrate into Syria from Turkey}}

{{Infobox military conflict

| conflict = 2011-2012 Syrian-Turkish border clashes

| partof = Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011–March 2012)

| image =

| caption =

| date = December 5–12, 2011

| place = Syrian-Turkish border

| result = SAR victory, all infiltrators repelled

| combatant1 = {{flagicon|Syria|1980}} Syrian Arab Republic

• Syrian Armed Forces

| combatant2 = {{flagicon|Syrian opposition}} Free Syrian Army

| strength1 = Border patrols units

| strength2 = 35 first attempt
15 second attempt{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

| casualties1 = None

| casualties2 = 3 killed
several wounded
1 arrested

}}

{{Campaignbox Idlib Governorate clashes (September 2011–March 2012)}}

{{Campaignbox Syrian–Turkish border clashes during the Syrian Civil War}}

The December 2011 Syrian-Turkey border clash was an ineffective incursion from Turkey by armed men into Syria.

During the night of 5 December, about 35 armed fighters attempted an ineffective incursion from Turkey of Syria and were engaged immediately by the Syrian border forces who wounded several the fighters and were able to repel them into Turkey.{{cite news

| url =https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-06/syria-repels-armed-group-seeking-entry-from-turkey-sana-reports.html

| title =Syria Repels Armed Group Seeking Entry From Turkey

| author =Emre Peker

| date = December 6, 2011

| work =Bloomberg

| access-date= April 4, 2012

}}

Once they were back on Turkish soil, the Turkish army picked them up in trucks and took care of the injured fighters.{{cite web|last=Associated |first=The |url=http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/syria-claims-to-repel-infiltration-attempt-by-terrorists-from-turkey-1.399923 |title=Syria claims to repel infiltration attempt by 'terrorists' from Turkey - Israel News | Haaretz Daily Newspaper |publisher=Haaretz.com |date=2011-12-06 |access-date=2012-07-26}}

A further attempt happened, as during the night of 12 December, 15 infiltrators tried again to cross the borders. They were unsuccessful and two of them were killed by Syrian border patrols.{{citation needed|date=April 2012}}

Because of this, the pro-government Syrian news agency, SANA, stated that the Free Syrian Army staged a retaliation attack and shot and killed a senior officer, Brigadier General Ghanem Ibrahim al-Hassan.{{cite news|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4161192,00.html |title=Violence in Syrian border province leaves 28 dead |newspaper=Ynetnews |publisher=Ynetnews.com |date=1995-06-20 |access-date=2012-07-31}}

On 1 February, Syrian authorities announced that they prevented another infiltration attempt from Turkey, in the Idlib Province. One infiltrator was killed and another arrested while the others fled.{{cite web|author=Syrian Arab News Agency: SANA, Damascus Syria - syria news |url=http://sana.sy/eng/337/2012/02/01/397674.htm |title=Syrian Arab news agency - SANA - Syria : Syria news :: |publisher=Sana.sy |date=2012-02-01 |access-date=2012-07-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223230041/http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2012/02/01/397674.htm |archive-date=2012-02-23 }} On 10 March a new group ineffectively infiltrated Syria with several infiltrators killed or arrested by the army.{{cite web |author=Syrian Arab News Agency: SANA, Damascus Syria - syria news |url=http://sana.sy/eng/337/2012/03/10/405252.htm |title=Syrian Arab news agency - SANA - Syria : Syria news :: |publisher=Sana.sy |date=2012-03-10 |access-date=2012-07-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312155803/http://www.sana.sy/eng/337/2012/03/10/405252.htm |archive-date=2012-03-12 }}