Reports: Turkey-backed Rebels Battle in Afrin

Clashes in the Syrian town of Afrin are intensifying as Turkish-backed Syrian rebel factions continue fighting each other over influence in the northwestern town.

The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a rights group monitoring developments in Syria, reported that fighting, which started Saturday night in several districts of the Kurdish-majority region, had left at least 25 dead.

Local residents in Afrin were caught in the crossfire, local sources said.

"This fighting is greatly impacting civilians in the region," Redwan Bezar, a Syrian reporter who closely follows the events in Afrin, told VOA.

"For a few days now people have been stranded inside their homes because of fierce fighting and shelling. They can't even get food and other daily needs," Bezar added.

Bezar said that some houses were hit in Sunday's clashes, but no civilian casualties have been reported.

Read the full article and more in VOA News.