17-08-2013 17 killed as qaeda attacks syria kurd town. al-qaeda loyalists attacked a mainly kurdish town in northeastern syria sparking fighting in which 17 people were killed two of them ambulance crew al-qaeda loyalists attacked a mainly kurdish town in northeastern syria sparking fighting in which 17 people were killed two of them ambulance crew a watchdog said on saturday. the assault on the strategic border town of ras al-ain was part of a wider offensive by al-qaeda against several kurdish majority areas of northern and northeastern syria that began on friday and was continuing on saturday the opposing uk-based syrian observatory for human rights said. syrian kurd activist havidar said civilians had fled "in waves into villages in turkey." "intermittent clashes are continuing to take place till now in the asfar najjar area and the outskirts of tal halaf" havidar told agence france presse via the internet. syrian army pulled out of majority kurdish areas of syria last year leaving kurds to fend for themselves. syria was hit by a violent unrest since mid-march 2011 where the syrian government accuses foreign actors of orchestrating the conflict by supporting the militant opposition groups with arms and money.
17 killed as qaeda attacks syria kurd town