Chaos ensues in 2 towns as booth Turkish and Syrian forces close in

BEIRUT — Parallel offensives waged by Turkey and the Syrian government on two separate towns in Syria on Monday pushed residents into overcrowded shelters for safety as others tried to flee the advancing forces by road.

Residents and displaced families in the besieged town of Douma in the rebel-held Damascus suburbs of eastern Ghouta were sleeping in shops and in the streets as basements in the town filled up beyond capacity, said Haitham Bakkar, a local resident.

Meanwhile, thousands of people were fleeing the northwestern town of Afrin as Turkish troops and Turkey backed opposition fighters moved closer to completely encircling it.