Launched TUESDAY November 5, 2019 on zReportage.com Story #715: Safe Zone Not So Safe: The Turkish northeast Syria offensive launched on 9 October in the wake of United States President Trump's decision to pull US troops out of the region, has ''severely impacted'' an already dire humanitarian situation, says the UN, with civilians fleeing the border areas, including into neighboring Iraq. However clashes continued on the border between Turkey and Syria, according to eyewitnesses and Kurdish fighters, despite the announcement that The US administration and Turkey's President Erdogan had brokered a ceasefire there. A handful of Christian-led aid groups remain in northeast Syria, despite pullbacks from major aid organizations. Nearly 180,000 residents have fled the fighting, and hundreds have been killed, including at least 18 children, according to the United Nations. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed that Turkey's militias had initially prevented a convoy from the Kurdish Red Crescent and the Free Burma Rangers from entering Ras al-Ain to provide aid. It said it expected casualties to rise due to the high number of wounded who can't access medical care. Turkey has justified its offensive, saying that the US allied Kurdish militia, which did the bulk of the fighting in the successful campaign against ISIL extremists, as terrorists. A Russian-negotiated truce saw the start of joint Russian and Turkish patrols on Friday, according to news reports, aimed at enforcing the ''safe zone'' to a depth of around 30 kilometers south of the border.
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Syrian Kurd refugees that fled the conflict in Syria stay at Bardarash camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Many said they endured shelling by Turkish forces and were smuggled out of the country to safety.
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IDPs, Internally Displaced Persons, that fled the conflict with Turkey in Syria and also local village residents receive food, water and blankets from Free Burma Rangers in a neighborhood near the front line.
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Syrian Kurd refugees that fled the conflict in Syria stay at Bardarash camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Many said they endured shelling by Turkish forces and were smuggled out of the country to safety.
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IDPs, Internally Displaced Persons, that fled the conflict with Turkey in Syria and also local village residents receive food, water and blankets from Free Burma Rangers, in a neighborhood near the front line.
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A mother holds her daughter as IDPs, Internally Displaced Persons, that fled the conflict with Turkey in Syria and also local village residents receive food, water and blankets from Free Burma Rangers in a neighborhood near the front line. This zone is one of ethnic cleansing with 300,000 people displaced. The Kurds are calling this area 'the genocide zone.'
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U.S. military move away from besieged city of Tel Tamir as tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes by Turkish forces. The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces and humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers at the front line. The Kurds are calling this area 'the genocide zone.'
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ABRAHIM FAWAZ, 10, was injured during shelling of his home in Qamishli. Syrian Kurd refugees that fled the conflict in Syria stay at Bardarash camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq on October 27, 2019. Many said they endured shelling by Turkish forces and were smuggled out of the country to safety.
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Tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes in the besieged city of Tel Tamir as residents flee. The front line moves to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces and humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers at the front line.
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ATYA RAMO, 64, fled her home with her husband of 45 years marriage and their children. 'We don't have any choice,' she said. 'It's our destiny.' They have been in camp five days after escaping shelling and were smuggled out. Syrian Kurd refugees that fled the conflict in Syria stay at Bardarash camp in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Many said they endured shelling by Turkish forces and were smuggled out of the country to safety.
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DAVE EUBANK with Free Burma Rangers, hugs a local resident near a church formerly destroyed by ISIS in Tel Nasir, Syria. Earlier IDPs, Internally Displaced Persons, that fled the conflict with Turkey in Syria and also local village residents receive food, water and blankets from Free Burma Rangers near the front line. Eubanks stated 'Call it Turkish zone of invasion, zone of genocideâ anything but a safe zone.'
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Residents flee the front line approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces. This zone is one of ethnic cleansing with 300,000 people displaced. The Kurds are calling this area 'the genocide zone.'
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Syrian forces withdraw. The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces. The humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers at the front line. The Wounded are brought to a hospital in the besieged city as tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes.
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The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces. The humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers on October 30, 2019 at the front line.Wounded are brought to a hospital in the besieged city as tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

The humanitarian group Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers at the front line. Wounded are brought to a hospital in the besieged city as tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes.
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HABWN KAMAL, 18 years old, just had three friends injured at the front, one lost his legs, another had his stomach critically wounded as they came under heavy fire from Turkish forces. The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
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Free Burma Rangers rescues injured soldiers on October 30, 2019 at the front line. Wounded are brought to a hospital in the besieged city as tires burn to act as cover from airstrikes. The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

ZAKIA MALAK weeps during a funeral as her brother SEHID ZEKRIYA MELEKTIRES is buried in Qamishli, Syria on October 30, 2019. The SDF fighter was killed by mortar attack in the conflict with Turkish forces.
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A mother weeps beating her heart with the shoes of her son MAHMOUD MOHAMMAD AL KHALIF, who is a 39 year old civilian shot by a sniper. She brought his body to hospital in the besieged city of Tel Tamir. He was killed in Tal El Ward, which means Village of Flower, as the front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
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A son AHMAD BIKAIR lost both parents ALI SALISH, 55 and IBRAHIM MUHAMMAD XALIF, 60 by mortar fire in the Syria conflict with Turkey. He rushed them to hospital in the besieged city of Tel Tamir, Syria hoping still they could be saved. The were gravely wounded in their village of Tal El Ward, which means Village of Flower, as the front line moves to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

A son AHMAD BIKAIR lost both parents ALI SALISH, 55 and IBRAHIM MUHAMMAD XALIF, 60 by mortar fire in the Syria conflict with Turkey. He rushed them to hospital in the besieged city of Tel Tamir, hoping still they could be saved. The were gravely wounded in their village of Tal El Ward, which means Village of Flower, as the front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

Soldiers with the Syrian army located on a road from Tel Tamir, Syria look towards the nearby front line during a lull in fighting as the sun sets.
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Sehid Zekriya Melektires is buried in Qamishli, Syria. The SDF fighter was killed by mortar attack in the conflict with Turkish forces.
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Sehid Zekriya Melektires is buried. The SDF fighter was killed by mortar attack in the conflict with Turkish forces.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

Sehid Zekriya MelekTires is buried. The SDF fighter was killed by mortar attack in the conflict with Turkish forces.
© Carol Guzy/ZUMA Wire

Soldiers with the Syrian army located on a road from Tel Tamir, look towards the nearby front line during a lull in fighting as the sun sets.
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A bullet hole that hit a Syrian soldier's helmet the day before. Soldiers with the Syrian army located on a road from Tel Tamir, look towards the nearby front line during a lull in fighting as the sun sets.
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Free Burma Rangers vehicle carry the wounded and dead back to a hospital from the front lines. The front line moved to approximately 2 kilometers from Tel Tamir, Syria as fierce fighting wages with Turkey forces.
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