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ANKARA, Turkey – A Turkish government official says more than 3,300 Syrians have crossed into Turkey in the past two days fleeing fighting between Islamic State militants and Kurdish forces in northern Syria’s Tel Abyad region.
The official said Thursday the refugees entered Turkey at the Akcakale border crossing. He also cited a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in rural areas near Tel Abyad.
He spoke on condition of anonymity because of rules that bar officials from speaking to reporters without authorization.
Kurdish fighters, known as the YPG, are closing in on the Islamic state group in Tel Abyad, capturing towns and villages in the oil-rich swath in the country’s northeast, supported by U.S.-led airstrikes.
Tel Abyad is a key link between Turkey and the northern Syrian city of Raqqa, the IS’s de-facto capital.
