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Death toll climbs in second day of Turkish offensive

Both Turkish and Syrian civilians were reported killed as Turkey pressed a cross-border assault on a Kurdish militia and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan struck a defiant tone in the face of international criticism.
People stand at a back of a truck as they flee Ras al Ain town, Syria October 9, 2019. REUTERS/Rodi Said - RC161F591340

ISTANBUL — Turkish artillery pounded Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria for a second day on Thursday, with both sides reporting civilians were killed, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan slammed Western nations for failing to support the incursion into a neighboring country.

Turkey’s attack on a roughly 120-kilometer (75-mile) stretch of Syrian territory south of its border has sparked an international backlash, with the United States — which has supported the Kurdish-dominated Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) for half a decade in the fight against the Islamic State — threatening economic sanctions and the European Union demanding Turkey halt the military action or risk unleashing more turmoil in the region.

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