SYRIA: Syrian rebels claim control over Kafaranbel after 4-day battle

Record ID: 281292

  • Title: SYRIA: Syrian rebels claim control over Kafaranbel after 4-day battle
  • Date: 17th August 2012
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) FREE SYRIA ARMY REBEL UNIT COMMANDER JAMAL MAAROUF SAYING: ''In the latest battle, the Syrian army destroyed more than twenty homes but with help of God, we defeated them completely and we are in control and we managed to capture eleven tanks.'' CAR DRIVING IN THE STREET/ DESTROYED TANK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD
  • Embargoed: 1st September 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Syrian Arab Republic
  • Country: Syria
  • Topics: Conflict,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADPLAIBVL2GENEZDFCXOZVG3NG
  • Story Text: After a four-day battle with the Syrian regular army, rebels claim they are in full control of the town of Kafaranbel in the northwest Idlib province.

    Residents of the small town in Syria's northwestern Idlib province say they are free of the control of the Syrian army after a four-day battle with the rebel Free Syria Army.
    Many homes were destroyed in Kafaranbel as a result of what residents said was air and ground bombardment by the army but signs of life and normalcy appeared to be returning.
    The town of 25,000 residents became popular throughout the past 17 months of the uprising against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad because of its satirical and creative banners that were d in large Friday prayer demonstrations.
    In the latest violence, residents say ten civilians including six members of the same family were killed. Rebels say 25 of their fighters were killed and claimed they had killed 150 members or president Assad's forces.
    For Umm Mohammad the hardship is not over. She lamented the loss of her fridge and said her family had no mattresses to sleep on.
    ''What happened is that the airplanes came and bombarded us and killed us and destroyed our homes and then left. What can we do? Our fridge is destroyed, our pots are destroyed, our mattresses are gone, we have nowhere to go and our neighbours are the same, no one can help out,'' she said looking at the rubble of her home with her elderly husband.
    Jamal Maarouf, the commander of a rebel unit that fought the Assad forces said rebels were trying to repair the damaged services in the town.
    ''After the liberation of Kafaranbel by the Assad brigades we have gathered all the people and mobilised them in order to reorganise the town and make sure to reinstall the power and water and telephone supplies and repair the bakeries and God willing, in less than days, all the services will be resumed,'' he said.
    ''In the latest battle, the Syrian army destroyed more than twenty homes but with help of God, we defeated them completely and we are in control and we managed to capture eleven tanks,'' he added.
    In addition to the destroyed homes, there were many damaged military vehicles that belonged to Assad forces on the side of the road.

    ENDS
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