PHOTOS: Turkey presses Syrian assault as thousands flee the fightingTurkish ground forces seized at

PHOTOS: Turkey presses Syrian assault as thousands flee the fighting

Turkish ground forces seized at least one village from Kurdish fighters in northern Syria as they pressed ahead with their assault for a second day Thursday, pounding towns and villages along the border with airstrikes and artillery.

Residents of border areas within Syria scrambled in panic as they tried to escape on foot and in cars, pickup trucks and motorcycle rickshaws piled with mattresses and belongings, and the U.N. refugee agency said tens of thousands of people were on the move. It was wrenchingly familiar for many who only a few years ago had fled the militants of the Islamic State group.

The Turkish invasion was launched three days after U.S. President Donald Trump opened the way by pulling American troops from their positions near the border alongside their Kurdish allies.

At a time when Trump faces an impeachment inquiry, the move drew swift criticism from Republicans and Democrats in Congress, along with many national defense experts, who say it has endangered not only the Kurds and regional stability but U.S. credibility as well.

The Syrian Kurdish militia was the only U.S. ally in the campaign that brought down the Islamic State group in Syria. (AP)

Photo credits: Delil Souleiman/AFP via Getty Images, Burak Kara/Getty Images, AP, Rodi Said/Reuters

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