Islamic State 'attacking refugee camps' in Syria
Asylum-seekers dig holes to protect themselves as militants take over camp on Turkish border
Islamic State (IS) has attacked a number of camps set up to house internally displaced Syrians near the border with Turkey, killing at least three people and prompting a new wave of refugees to flee the violence.
"The killings came as the terror group pushed back Syrian opposition forces who had edged to within five miles of Dabiq, a highly symbolic village that the group's leaders believe is the pre-ordained epicentre of a clash that will herald an apocalyptic showdown," says The Guardian.
Sputnik News, the Russian state-backed news agency, says IS has seized five villages from the Free Syrian Army in the northern Aleppo province. "In the midst of the advance, Syrian civilians have been fleeing toward the Oncupinar border post," it says.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Turkish troops opened fire on civilians fleeing the violence, in an attempt to turn them away at the border, says The Guardian.
"As we approached the border wall, we saw Turkish soldiers on a hill behind the wall and they just started shooting at us," said one refugee.
Humanitarian organisation Human Rights Watch has called on the Turkish government to open its border. "The head of Ikdah camp, on the Turkish border, said that Isis had taken over the camp, which sheltered just under 10,000 people," it says. "People in the camp who couldn't escape quickly enough were digging holes to protect themselves."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
How Mississippi moved from the bottom to the top in educationIn the Spotlight All eyes are on the Magnolia State
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
The Week contest: Post-surgery SpanishPuzzles and Quizzes
-
Why Greenland’s natural resources are nearly impossible to mineThe Explainer The country’s natural landscape makes the task extremely difficult
-
Iran cuts internet as protests escalateSpeed Reada Government buildings across the country have been set on fire
-
US nabs ‘shadow’ tanker claimed by RussiaSpeed Read The ship was one of two vessels seized by the US military
-
How Bulgaria’s government fell amid mass protestsThe Explainer The country’s prime minister resigned as part of the fallout
-
Normalising relations with the Taliban in AfghanistanThe Explainer The regime is coming in from the diplomatic cold, as countries lose hope of armed opposition and seek cooperation on counterterrorism, counter-narcotics and deportation of immigrants
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Brazil’s Bolsonaro behind bars after appeals run outSpeed Read He will serve 27 years in prison
-
Americans traveling abroad face renewed criticism in the Trump eraThe Explainer Some of Trump’s behavior has Americans being questioned