Five killed in Turkish airstrikes

By Bimbo Ogunnaike with agency report

Despite a ceasefire with Kurdish forces, Turkish Air force planes strike Syria’s northeastern province of Hasakah which left at least five people dead.

Tens of Thousands of people have fled their homes in northern Syria, as Turkish troops step up their cross border offensive on Kurdish-held areas.

Turkish troops have encircled the border towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad and aid agencies fear the exodus could reach hundreds of thousands.

International clamour has increased for Turkey to halt the attack.

Turkey has defended its bid to create a “safe zone” free of Kurdish militias which could also house Syrian refugees.

Turkish troops have encircled the border towns of Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad and aid agencies fear the exodus could reach hundreds of thousands.

International clamour has increased for Turkey to halt the attack.

Turkey has defended its bid to create a “safe zone” free of Kurdish militias which could also house Syrian refugees.

Turkey regards the Kurdish militias of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – which have controlled the cross-border areas – as “terrorists” who support an anti-Turkish insurgency.

The SDF have been key allies of the United States in the battle against the Islamic State (IS) group.

However, it was after President Donald Trump’s decision to pull US troops out of the area that Turkey launched its assault, sparking SDF accusations they had been “stabbed in the back”.

One major concern for the international community is the fate of thousands of suspected IS prisoners, including many foreign nationals, being guarded by Kurdish-led forces in the region.

The International Rescue Committee aid organisation said that 64,000 people had already reportedly fled their homes. The UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, gave a similar figure.

: “If the offensive continues it’s possible a total of 300,000 people could be displaced to already overstretched camps and towns still recovering from the fight against IS,” The IRC’s Misty Buswell said.

Another group of 14 humanitarian organisations, including the Mercy Corps, warned the figure could be 450,000.

Buswell said IRC teams remained on the ground, although other reports suggest some aid groups have pulled back across the Turkish border.