GAZIANTEP, Turkey
Around 1,500 Syrian Turkmen fleeing fighting in the Syrian town of Jarabulus have arrived at the Karkamis border district in southeast Turkey, local sources said.
The clashes between the Islamic Front and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) drove thousands of Turkmen from camps in Jarabulus to the Turkey-Syrian border.
The mostly women and children have been living in makeshift tents for nearly a week.
"The refugees are facing food and bread shortages. They are dealing with rain and cold weather as they await transportation to camps in Turkey," Syrian Turkmen Ahmad Al Jadir said.
Kadir Kaya, a local resident in Karkamis, said dozens of Turkmen arrive at the border every day. Turkish medics have provided medical assistance to those who were sick.
Islamic Front rebels, the largest Islamist opposition alliance, accuse the ISIL of having committed violations against the local population that include murders, kidnappings, and forced expulsions.
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