Palestinians in a refugee camp near Damascus on Wednesday welcomed more than 2,000 displaced Syrians fleeing fighting that has spread to the Syrian capital.

The Syrians came to al-Yarmouk camp from neighborhoods throughout the area, but many are from Al Tadamon which locals say has been bombed heavily by the Syrian army.

Sources in the camp said Palestinians have organized into civil teams to organize shelter for those displaced, housing people in family homes, mosques and schools.

They also formed medical teams to treat those who are injured.

Al-Yarmouk is the largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria as the home of 200,000 Palestinians.

While Palestinians have insisted on remaining largely outside the bitter fighting between state forces and opposition groups, the camp has been rocked by several deadly incidents.

On Friday, four Palestinian refugees were killed and several others were injured after Syrian security forces opened fire at demonstrators in the camp, sources said.

Hundreds of refugees had taken to the streets to protest the abduction and killing of 16 Palestinians earlier in the week.

In the last three days fighting between the army and rebels has spread to the streets of Damascus, in some of the fiercest battles in the capital since the unrest began last year.