AKCAKALE, Turkey — Rebels seized control of a border crossing on the frontier with Turkey on Wednesday, pulling down the Syrian flag and briefly allowing people — some jubilant, some wounded — to crawl under a barbed wire barrier between the countries.

Turkish authorities quickly closed the area and police prevented the crowd from trying to storm the border and cross into Syria.

"I am a free Syrian!" shouted Zisha Bargash, throwing his hands in the air, as he watched the takeover from the Turkish side. "This is the beginning of the end Assad. Game over."