Another brigadier general has defected from Syria's army to join the ranks of opposition fighters, pushing the total number of rebel generals based in Turkey to 28, a diplomatic source said Monday.

The general was accompanied by 11 other officers, the source added on condition of anonymity.

Senior Syrian officers have been crossing over into Turkey to link up with rebel forces on a near daily basis in recent months, often accompanied by rank-and-file troops, to join the ranks of the Free Syrian Army.

Turkey is also home to some 44,000 refugees who fled the violence in Syria, currently housed in several camps established along the border.