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3. Turkey Again Blocks Aid Convoy for Kurds in Syria: NGO

Turkish authorities have blocked for a second time an aid convoy from reaching the Syrian Kurdish town of Kobane that's been overwhelmed by people fleeing fighting, a local NGO said on Wednesday.

As the Syrian army and Kurdish forces clash in Syria, Kobane has been inundated by people trying to escape the hostilities.

Last week, Turkish authorities prevented a convoy of 25 trucks carrying humanitarian supplies destined for Kobane from reaching the Turkey–Syria border.

The convoy, which included water, milk, baby formula, and blankets, had been assembled in Turkey's southeastern Kurdish city of Diyarbakir by the Diyarbakir Solidarity and Protection Platform, the NGO that organized the aid drive.

After it was blocked last week, it had initially been authorized to travel via Azaz, a city in northern Syria, with its own delegation overseeing the handover.

But "the delegation was again denied permission," the group said in a statement on Wednesday.

The trucks "were not allowed to cross into Kobane despite all efforts," it said, adding that "the aid was brought back to Diyarbakir."

Last week, residents of Kobane told AFP they were running out of food, water, and electricity because the city was overwhelmed with people fleeing the advance of the Syrian army.

Kurdish forces accused the Syrian army of imposing a siege on Kobane, also known as Ain al-Arab in Arabic.

After months of deadlock and fighting, Damascus and the Syrian Kurds announced an agreement on Friday.

The deal "seeks to unify Syrian territory," including Kurdish areas, while also maintaining an ongoing ceasefire and introducing the "gradual integration" of Kurdish forces and administrative institutions, according to the text of the agreement.

Kurdish forces liberated Kobane from a lengthy siege by the Islamic State group in 2015, their first major victory against the jihadists.

Turkey views Syrian Kurdish fighters as a terror group affiliated with Turkey's outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

AFP