Turkish offensive sparks yet another Syrian exodus

BEIRUT (AP) — Syrians are fleeing by the tens of thousands yet again, a recurring nightmare of hastily packed bags, traffic-clogged highways and an uncertain fate.

Families who just a few years ago fled from an Islamic State onslaught are now running from a Turkish offensive against the same Kurdish fighters who defeated the extremist group. The United States, which worked hand-in-hand with the Syrian Kurds, has stepped aside and abandoned its allies .

Now, civilians are on the run again, but this time there are even fewer places to go. The northern border with Turkey is sealed, displacement camps are already overwhelmed and hostile forces, including unbowed IS militants, are poised to move in and exploit the chaos.

Here's a look at the refugee crisis in northeastern Syria amid fears it will dramatically worsen.

FROM ONE WAR TO ANOTHER

Syrian government forces largely withdrew from the northeast after the civil war erupted in 2011 to focus on other parts of the country. That allowed the Kurdish minority to carve out an autonomous region that welcomed refugees from the fighting in other parts of the country, including Christians and other religious minorities.

But the Islamic State group swept in starting in 2013 and eventually conquered most of the area, establishing the capital of its self-styled caliphate in the northeastern city of Raqqa. Tens of thousands of people fled the fighting and the group's brutal rule, which was marked by massacres, public beheadings and other atrocities.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces launched a counteroffensive after nearly being wiped out in the northeastern border town of Kobane. With close U.S. military support, they gradually retook nearly all of northeastern Syria from the extremists, including Raqqa. But victory came...