Over 7,700 Syrians return to Jarabulus city from Turkey

By Mehmet Akif Parlak

GAZIANTEP, Turkey (AA) – More than 7,700 Syrians have returned to northern Syria’s Jarabulus city from Turkey’s Gaziantep province, two months after the city was liberated from the Daesh terrorist group, the regional governor's office said Tuesday.

Syrians can be seen waiting in line at Turkey’s Karkamis border crossing to go to Jarabulus after registration and security checks.

Oktay Bahceci, head of the Gaziantep regional migration office, said Jarabulus was now clear of all terrorist groups.

“After our office carries out the registrations, they may go to their hometowns,” Bahceci said. “To date, a total of 7,741 people have returned to Jarabulus."

Operation Euphrates Shield, which began on Aug. 24 backed by the Turkish Armed Forces, is aimed at bolstering border security, supporting coalition forces and eliminating the threat posed by terrorist organizations in Syria, especially Daesh.

Syria has been locked in a vicious civil war since early 2011 when the Assad regime cracked down on pro-democracy protests – which erupted as part of the Arab Spring uprisings – with unexpected ferocity.

The Syrian Center for Policy Research, a Beirut-based NGO, has put the total death toll from the five-year conflict at more than 470,000.