Mercy Corps

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A picture of Akcakale in Turkey, showing attacks on the Syrian town of Tal Abyad

tens of thousands of people have fled their homes in Northern Syria, the Turkish armed forces to strengthen their cross-border offensive on Kurdish-held areas.

the Turkish troops in The Border towns of Ras al-circled-Ain and Tal Abyad, and aid agencies fear The Exodus could reach hundreds of thousands. to stop

increased International hue and cry, for Turkey The Attack .

the Turkey, the offer has defended a "safe zone", free from Kurdish militias, which is also home to Syrian refugees.

Turkey regards the Kurdish militias in the Syrian Democratic forces (SDF) - the cross-border areas to have checked - as "terrorists," the anti-Turkish uprisings.

The SDF were important allies of the United States in The Fight against the Islamic state (IS) group.

However, it was according to President Donald Trump , the decision of the U.S. troops from the territory of Turkey launched his attack, sparking SDF allegations that they were "stabbed in the back".

.

A major concern for The International community to the fate of thousands of alleged IS-prisoners, including many foreigners, guarded by Kurdish troops in the region.

How is the offensive, the people?

The International Rescue Committee, a relief organization, said that 64,000 people have already reportedly fled from their homes. The UK-based monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights gave a similar number.

The IRC-Misty Buswell said: "If the offensive is more, it is possible, a total of 300,000 people could be displaced on the already congested camps and cities still recovering from The Fight against IS. "

residents from their home town of Ras al-Ain, '

to escape Another group of 14 humanitarian organizations, including Mercy Corps , warned the number could of 450,000.

Ms Buswell said the IRC team remained on the ground, although other reports suggest, some of the relief organizations pulled back on the Turkish border.

Sevinaz, a resident of Ras al-Ain, told the BBC on Thursday morning: "I'm out of town with my sick mother. My brother is on the inside. I was informed that my cousin martyred would have. There is no safe place for anyone.

"I Am concerned that I see The Last time my town. "

Rizan Mohammad, the escape of the Kurdish majority in the city of Qamishli, after the Turkish air strikes, told the news Agency AFP news agency: "We are on the way to the country, because we are afraid of a renewed bombing and increased conflicts. "

the deaths on The Border

The BBC's Martin patience in the Turkish Border Town of Akcakale.

At The Border , you can see columns of smoke rise from the Syrian cities of shelling by the Turkish military. They look largely deserted, but the Kurdish fighters are positioned, there is fire.

Several shells landed in the vicinity, where many media organizations have Set Up , including the BBC, on The Outskirts of Akcakale. In the city, several mortar shells three people, including a nine-month-old Syrian baby killed.

But in Turkey, there is a broad support for the operation. A tribal leader in The Border hailed it as "a Great Day for Turkey".

He said it would mean that the Syrian refugees could go home, he supports everything that applies to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Now that the offensive was launched, Turkey is unlikely to back down.

What is the latest on the fighting?

It is an often confused picture, with different versions.

Turkey is the Anadolu news agency said late on Thursday that 228 were neutralized Kurdish extremists, "" since the start of the operation.

The SDF dismissed had, a figure 109 given earlier in The Day with President Erdogan, like an exaggeration, but you have no exact numbers of victims.

The Syrian Observatory said at least 29 SDF-fighters died, along with at least 17 Turkish-backed Syrian rebels from The Free Syrian army. It also said the offensive More Than 10 villages in the Ras al-Ain and Tal Abyad area, were captured to be where the SDF seem to be strong under pressure.

A SDF-Twitter-account said, an attack by the Turkish armed forces in the East of the Jalab river was beaten back, with three military vehicles destroyed and 22 enemy fighters killed.

The Kurdish Red Crescent, said there had been 11 confirmed dead civilians so far, and 28 serious injuries, mostly in the Ras al-Ain and the Border Town of Qamishli.

at least five people, including a Syrian baby, were reportedly killed in Kurdish shelling of Turkish border towns.

Turkey, a "safe zone" to run for 480 km on the Syrian side of The Border , but it is said to be deeper than the planned 32 km (20 miles) limit.

What has been the reaction?

The UN security Council discussed The Situation on Thursday at The Request of their current five EU members - the UK, France, Germany, Belgium and Poland.

The Five called on Turkey to stop its military offensive, saying "renewed armed clashes in the North-East will continue to suffer, undermining the stability of the entire region, exacerbating the civilian and provoke further shifts".

UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres , expressed his "deep concern" at the increasing violence.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN-Kelly-crafts, said: "the failure to play by The Rules to guarantee protection of vulnerable groups of the population, error that IS not use these actions, to restore, will have consequences. "

This was followed by a tweet from Mr Trump in which he said he was "in the conversation for both sides", and added: "I say to hit Turkey very hard, financially & with sanctions if they don't play by The Rules ! I'm watching very closely. "

He sent a tweet later saying there were three options, "send in thousands of troops to win militarily, the Turkey is very hard financially and with sanctions, or broker a deal between Turkey and the Kurds". Later, he told reporters: "I hope it will be The Last . "

Turkey, for its part, said it would be the responsibility for the prisoners IS that during the offensive.

Mr Erdogan has strongly defended the ingress, threatening to send some of the 3. 6 million Syrian refugees it hosts to Europe, when the Turkish offensive as a profession.

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Source of news: bbc.com