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May 31, 2019

Civilians Flee Russian-Backed Syrian Assault on Last Rebel-Held Province
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In northwestern Syria, a Russian-backed offensive by Syria's military on
the last rebel-held province of Idlib has intensified in recent days,
prompting hundreds of thousands of civilians to flee toward Turkey,
where officials have sealed border crossings, leaving refugees to fend
for themselves in squalid camps as fighting rages nearby. The U.N. said
Thursday more than a quarter-million residents of Idlib and neighboring
Hama province have been displaced by fighting in recent weeks, with
reports of at least 160 civilian deaths. The Union of Medical Care and
Relief Organizations says the toll is even higher, with at least 229
civilians killed and more than 700 wounded.


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