Turks open border crossing with Syria, hundreds of Syrian refugees return to reclaimed town

ISTANBUL – Hundreds of refugees are returning to the Syrian town of Tal Abyad after Turkey reopened a nearby border crossing.

Tal Abyad was captured by Kurdish forces last week from the Islamic State group, dealing a major blow to the extremists' ability to wage war in Syria by cutting off a vital supply line to the group's self-proclaimed capital, Raqqa.

The Kurdish advance had prompted thousands of Syrians to flee the fighting and go across the border into Turkey.

Local authorities in Sanliurfa Province confirmed Monday that the official border was now reopened and that Syrians were beginning to return. The Turkish news agency DHA put the number of returnees at 500.