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CBN News' Chuck Holton Reports from Syria: 'It's Really Changing the Way That People Live'

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CBN News Contributing Correspondent Chuck Holton is in northeast Syria with the Free Burma Rangers, bringing medical aid to some of the victims of the war. 

Holton and his team have been right in the middle of the fighting between Turkish forces and the Syrian Kurds.  He recently witnessed a miracle of God's protection for them.

"We were alerted that there was a wounded YPG soldier who had been separated from his unit and was stuck behind FSA lines. We were asked to take our armored ambulances and look for the soldier," Holton recalled. " While we're out looking for him, a gun truck was coming our way from the Syrian FSA lines. I alerted our guys and we all took off running to our vehicles," Holton said.

"Just before we got into our vehicles, the gun truck came up on a berm and open fired. I watched a couple of our guys who were up against the berm with bullets ricocheting off the dirt all around them," he explained. "They were untouched and our vehicles were untouched.  It was an absolute miracle that nobody was hurt. We jumped into our armored vehicles and got out of there."

"We got another phone call about the wounded soldier who had crawled to the roadside," Holton added. "We went back after dark and retrieved him almost from under the noses of the FSA. We got him in the vehicles and to the hospital where he was treated."

Turkish-backed Syrian fighters are taking control of Sari Kani, right on the border between Turkey and Syria.

"Many of the homes inside Serkonia have been set fire to from what I'm told. We can see the smoke in the distance. There's still sporadic bouts of fighting in this area between the SFA forces and the Syrian Democratic forces," Holton reported.

"There are also mortar attacks and bombs from drones being dropped," he explained. "There are drones overhead from Turkey almost at every moment. It's really changing the way that people live. They're afraid to go outside."

Many people are just trying to survive and it's getting harder to find food.

"The supplies have been running out of just about everything because their supplies come from Turkey," Holton added.

Many people living in northeastern Syria can't believe American forces pulled out of the region. 

Free Burma Ranger Dave Eubanks was overcome with emotion while caring for a baby whose parents who fled the fighting.

"When I saw this baby, it hurts my heart," Eubanks said. "People say, 'Where's America? Why did you leave? The Turks, the Free Syrian attacking, ISIS coming up and attacking," 

In the midst of the chaos, Holton credits the protection of God for his team's safety and he's asking for prayer that they'll be useful in their work.

"We're not here just to come to see the war. We're not tourists. We're here to help," Holton concluded.

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About The Author

Chuck
Holton

The 700 Club