Syrians flee Kurdish-controlled area near Aleppo |
Syrians began fleeing an area east of Aleppo city on Thursday after the army gave civilians a deadline to leave amid fears of an escalation in clashes with Kurdish forces.
The government is seeking to extend its authority across the country following the ouster of longtime leader Bashar al-Assad a year ago.
On Sunday, government troops took full control of Aleppo city over the weekend after capturing two Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods.
It reached a deal in March to fold a Kurdish de facto autonomous administration in the north into the state, but progress on its implementation has stalled.
An AFP correspondent near Deir Hafer, one of the Kurdish-controlled towns being eyed by Damascus, saw many cars, trucks and civilians on foot leaving through a corridor set up by the army on Thursday, but the road was due to close at 5:00 pm (1400 GMT).
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