MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-WEAPONS Aleppo weapon store sells and repairs arms for Syrian rebels

Record ID: 149550

  • Title: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-WEAPONS Aleppo weapon store sells and repairs arms for Syrian rebels
  • Date: 28th May 2015
  • Summary: ALEPPO, SYRIA (RECENT - MAY 15, 2015) (VIDEO OBTAINED BY REUTERS) CAR DRIVING IN STREET STREET VIEW WOMAN WALKING PAST WEAPON STORE EXTERIOR OF WEAPON STORE GUNS AS SEEN THROUGH STORE'S WINDOW BOX SEEN THROUGH STORE WINDOW WITH WRITING READING (English) 'STERLING - HIGH QUALITY SHOT SHELL' BULLETS AS SEEN THROUGH STORE WINDOW BULLETS IN BOX GUNS AND BULLETS ABU OMAR, OWNER
  • Embargoed: 12th June 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVABGG9IA1QDER1VL5QEWS3X7JL2
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: As fighting continues on the front line of the Syrian war, weapons are being sold openly on the streets of Aleppo to rebels as well as to civilians with licenses.
    Aside from widespread licensed shops, weapons are now available in a small store in Aleppo where models of pistols, rifles and munitions are displayed for sale.
    The store, which once offered only maintenance services, is now open for weapons trade; selling and purchasing arms for anti-Assad fighters, says it owner Abu Omar.
    Abu Omar says he does not trade in heavy machine-guns or sniper rifles, but he only sells and purchases light arms.
    "This is a weapon selling store, it sells and repairs weapons. It was initially opened for weapons maintenance but it now trades in selling and purchasing light weapons. It offers, at the same time, maintenance services for the mujahideen," said Abu Omar.
    In a bid to control the trading of weapons on the streets of Aleppo, a security foundation in the city's rebel-held area established a system in which buyers must carry a license before they can purchase arms.
    Abu Omar says anyone who buys a weapon from his store must have permission to carry it, aside from the 'mujahideen'.
    "As for selling and purchasing, it is known that only mujahideen are allowed to purchase any kind of weapons. As for the civilians, they must have a document from the Shariah Board or the security foundation, since we now have one, so that I am not held responsible for this, and so that the buyer himself is comfortable and grateful," said Abu Omar.
    Ahmad Al-Omar works as an officer in the security foundation office. He issues licenses for those who are qualified to carry weapons.
    "This is a model license, it includes the forename and the surname as well as general information about the applicant. The reason and the aim of issuing this license is to control the spread of weapons among civilians so that anyone that carries a weapon holds a license and so that not anyone can walk away with a weapon without having permission to use it," said Al-Omar.
    Aleppo is at the forefront of clashes between the army and a range of insurgents, including Islamist brigades, al Qaeda's Syria wing Nusra Front and Western-backed units battling President Bashar al-Assad.
    But four years into Syria's civil war, no side is close to victory. A third of the population has been made homeless and more than 220,000 people have been killed.
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