Syria Kurds mark grim Nowruz after fleeing Afrin

With tears in her eyes, Rasheeda Ali said she would not celebrate the Kurdish New Year this week after she and her family were forced to flee under fire from Syria's Afrin. Tens of thousands have been left homeless after abandoning their homes and loved ones in the northwestern city of Afrin, now controlled by Turkish troops and allied rebels. The fall of Afrin on Sunday was a major blow for Syria's Kurds, who have proudly run autonomous local governments since 2013 -- finally speaking Kurdish and marking customs long banned by the Damascus government.

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