Intense fighting near a key Syrian border town on Sunday sent thousands of people streaming into Turkey. The masses surged out after a hole was cut into a fence separating Syria from its neighbor, which has taken in more than 1.8 million refugees in the four-plus years of civil war, the Associated Press reports.
The influx was a result of increased fighting around Tal Abyad between Kurdish fighters and the militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria. An activist group said the Kurds gained control of a number of nearby villages from ISIS on Sunday.
A state-run news agency later reported that Turkey opened its border to accommodate for more refugees to cross, but that ISIS militants barred them from leaving.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Biden Dropped Out
- Ukraine’s Plan to Survive Trump
- The Rise of a New Kind of Parenting Guru
- The Chaos and Commotion of the RNC in Photos
- Why We All Have a Stake in Twisters’ Success
- 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep
- Welcome to the Noah Lyles Olympics
- Get Our Paris Olympics Newsletter in Your Inbox
Contact us at letters@time.com