UN says 70,000 people fled amid Turkey's operation in N. Syria - It's Over 9000!

UN says 70,000 people fled amid Turkey's operation in N. Syria

BALADI NEWS 

The U.N. says 70,000 people in northern Syria have been forced to flee because of Turkey's operation against the U.S.-backed Kurdish forces. Turkish warplanes and artillery blasted targets across the Syrian border Friday on the third day of the offensive.

The city of Qamishli in northern Syria is a very important city for the Kurdish population, as it's their administrative center. But it's is only about a mile and a half from the Turkish border, which means it's vulnerable to airstrikes, artillery and mortars.

A couple of nights ago, Qamishli came under a mortar attack. Three mortars slammed into the neighborhood, killing one person on the spot. Two people were injured and are now fighting for their lives in a hospital.

This kind of random violence in the area has sparked a mass exodus of Qamishli. There was a bottleneck Thursday on a main road leading south, away from Turkish airstrikes and mortar attacks. Families didn't want to take a chance with their young children on attacks like this.

The Turkish government has said that the military operation aims at clearing the area of terrorists.

Sourc: CBS News.

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