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How are displaced Iraqis faring in Syria’s camps?

Hundreds of Turkmen families from Tal Afar, in northwestern Iraq, have headed for the Syrian opposition areas in Aleppo’s countryside.
Iraqi refugee women sit overlooking al-Howl refugee camp south of Hasaka city, Syria October 20, 2016. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RTX2PS92
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ALEPPO, Syria — Hundreds of Turkmen families traveled from Tal Afar in northwestern Iraq and arrived in Syria along the border with Turkey near Azaz in the northern Aleppo countryside. These families fled the fierce battles the Iraqi army and security forces are waging against the Islamic State (IS). The displaced people crossed hundreds of kilometers from the west side of Mosul to reach the Turkish-Syrian border in order to enter Turkey.

This wave of displaced Iraqi Turkmens from Tal Afar began on Nov. 18 as Iraqi forces approached the city and took control of Tal Afar Airport as well as several surrounding villages to the south of the city.

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