Refugee surge after new Syrian attacks

Thousands of civilians streamed out of their towns yesterday in the north and south of Syria, where different offensives have prompted yet another exodus.

In the southwest a new wave of at least 10,000 people fled a rebel pocket in eastern Ghouta to army lines near the capital, Damascus.

And in the northern Afrin region, people ran from their homes as Turkish war planes struck the main town. More than 150,000 people have fled the town in the past few days, a senior Kurdish official said.

The two offensives — one by the Syrian army with Russia’s support, another led by Turkey with its so-called ‘Free Syrian Army’ fighters — entered decisive phases last week. Both have shown how foreign backers are reshaping the map of Syria after the defeat of Isil’s selfproclaimed caliphate last year.

And the identity of the ‘Free Syrian Army’ fighters that marched beside the Turkish forces that invaded the city on January 20 has also been called into question.

There are regular Turkish troops and special forces — but also as many as 25,000 fighters, operating under the umbrella name of the ‘Free Syrian Army’.

However respected journalist Patrick Cockburn says evidence from the front line suggests that many of these ‘FSA’ troops are actually battle-hardened Islamists who previously fought with or alongside Isil/al-Qaeda — and are now happy to join the mainly Sunni Turkish troops.

These fighters blame the US-backed Kurds — who now hold 25pc of Syria — as one of the main reasons for the Islamist defeat in the Syrian civil war.