02:51Residents fled the northeastern Syrian town of Tal Tamr on Wednesday, after clashes broke out between Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as well as Syrian government forces.
"The fighting became too close to us, they hit the school and the children got scared, but thank god no one got hurt" one of the residents said. "The people have had enough, every time a group comes, it appears to be harsher on the people, people have had enough, they only have their god" another resident added.
In the footage, thick black smoke can be seen rising from around the town as vehicles drive away from the area, some piled high with residents' possessions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that joint Russian-Turkish patrols, as laid out in an agreement between the Turkish and Russian governments in Sochi, will begin in northeastern Syria on Friday, but added that Turkish military operations could start again if Kurdish forces did not fully withdraw from the so-called 30-kilometres (20 miles) safe zone.
On Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the withdrawal of Kurdish forces and their equipment from near the Turkish-Syrian border had been completed. According to Shoigu, more than 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) have been demined and various explosives have been neutralised.
Syria: Residents flee Tal Tamr as Turkish-backed forces continue offensive
Residents fled the northeastern Syrian town of Tal Tamr on Wednesday, after clashes broke out between Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as well as Syrian government forces.
"The fighting became too close to us, they hit the school and the children got scared, but thank god no one got hurt" one of the residents said. "The people have had enough, every time a group comes, it appears to be harsher on the people, people have had enough, they only have their god" another resident added.
In the footage, thick black smoke can be seen rising from around the town as vehicles drive away from the area, some piled high with residents' possessions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that joint Russian-Turkish patrols, as laid out in an agreement between the Turkish and Russian governments in Sochi, will begin in northeastern Syria on Friday, but added that Turkish military operations could start again if Kurdish forces did not fully withdraw from the so-called 30-kilometres (20 miles) safe zone.
On Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the withdrawal of Kurdish forces and their equipment from near the Turkish-Syrian border had been completed. According to Shoigu, more than 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) have been demined and various explosives have been neutralised.
Residents fled the northeastern Syrian town of Tal Tamr on Wednesday, after clashes broke out between Turkish-backed forces and Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG), as well as Syrian government forces.
"The fighting became too close to us, they hit the school and the children got scared, but thank god no one got hurt" one of the residents said. "The people have had enough, every time a group comes, it appears to be harsher on the people, people have had enough, they only have their god" another resident added.
In the footage, thick black smoke can be seen rising from around the town as vehicles drive away from the area, some piled high with residents' possessions.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Wednesday that joint Russian-Turkish patrols, as laid out in an agreement between the Turkish and Russian governments in Sochi, will begin in northeastern Syria on Friday, but added that Turkish military operations could start again if Kurdish forces did not fully withdraw from the so-called 30-kilometres (20 miles) safe zone.
On Tuesday, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said that the withdrawal of Kurdish forces and their equipment from near the Turkish-Syrian border had been completed. According to Shoigu, more than 100 square kilometres (38 square miles) have been demined and various explosives have been neutralised.