Böri
10-30-2014, 12:25 AM
HAMA (Zaman Al Wasl)- Aqrab, a small town in Hama’s Western South countryside, midway between Homs and Hama, of Turkman majority and some Alawite, nearly 2000 people out of total 12 thousand. It is surrounded by pro-regime villages from West, East and North.
In 2012, Syrian regime’s “Shabiha” committed unprecedented massacre where almost 600 people were killed.
Abdul Aziz rashwani one of the Aqrab’s residents, left the town in the beginning of 2013 to live with his friends’ houses in Holeh, came to visit his house for the first time when Zaman al-Wasl met him, he was shocked from the status of his house which was almost destroyed and all furniture was stolen, beside most surrounding houses were either completely destroyed or uninhabitable.
His cousin requested Abdul Aziz to check his house, Zaman al-Wasl talked to him over the phone and told his story: “I live now in Gaziantep in Malatia camp, I don’t think we would come back to Aqrab after the threat and fear we went through, we don’t have better life, but at least we don’t have to suffer from the frequent insult of ‘Shabiha’ and shelling from the surrounding villages, or explosive barrels”
According to some available records, it is estimated that 10 thousand “80%” of Aqrab town were displaced, either to Holeh or to refugees’ camps in Turkey.
It has been reported to Zaman al-Wasl that Turkey has allocated particular camps to Turkmen came from Homs and Hama and gave them permission to work.
The member in the relief committee Abdul Jabbar Hojik, confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that many people even whole families still missing and the exact numbers of killed people still uncertain.
In regard to aid or relief, he mentioned that many members based in Turley and they provide 13 thousand tons of flour monthly , which is sometimes sold to use its price for buying other stuff.
Dr.Khawla al-Hadid, an activist from Aqrab town explained circumstances preceded the massacre, she mentioned that plans to push the town into a sectarian conflict was clear since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, where “Shabiha” used to humiliate and arrest people on barriers, beside many incidents of killing and abduction. “when one of “Shabiha” from the town was killed on a barrier, and his brother was killed in Hama, their father left the town, then many Shabihas’ families left Aqrab, with exodus of Alawite pro-regime people because of anticipated military action, then sever shelling started hitting the town”
An eyewitness of the massacre told what happened to her: “some armed people from the town detained around 500 people as hostages, when religious figures and Sheikhs intervened, 150 people were freed, to keep the Sheikhs in return. We were threatened of killing and exploding us with the building if anyone hit the abductors from outside”
The Free Syrian Army “FSA” requested the abductors to free the hostages and would let them to leave the area, but they refused.
The eyewitness confirmed that the building was exploded with hostages inside, including 125 children.
https://www.zamanalwsl.net/en/news/7275.html
In 2012, Syrian regime’s “Shabiha” committed unprecedented massacre where almost 600 people were killed.
Abdul Aziz rashwani one of the Aqrab’s residents, left the town in the beginning of 2013 to live with his friends’ houses in Holeh, came to visit his house for the first time when Zaman al-Wasl met him, he was shocked from the status of his house which was almost destroyed and all furniture was stolen, beside most surrounding houses were either completely destroyed or uninhabitable.
His cousin requested Abdul Aziz to check his house, Zaman al-Wasl talked to him over the phone and told his story: “I live now in Gaziantep in Malatia camp, I don’t think we would come back to Aqrab after the threat and fear we went through, we don’t have better life, but at least we don’t have to suffer from the frequent insult of ‘Shabiha’ and shelling from the surrounding villages, or explosive barrels”
According to some available records, it is estimated that 10 thousand “80%” of Aqrab town were displaced, either to Holeh or to refugees’ camps in Turkey.
It has been reported to Zaman al-Wasl that Turkey has allocated particular camps to Turkmen came from Homs and Hama and gave them permission to work.
The member in the relief committee Abdul Jabbar Hojik, confirmed to Zaman al-Wasl that many people even whole families still missing and the exact numbers of killed people still uncertain.
In regard to aid or relief, he mentioned that many members based in Turley and they provide 13 thousand tons of flour monthly , which is sometimes sold to use its price for buying other stuff.
Dr.Khawla al-Hadid, an activist from Aqrab town explained circumstances preceded the massacre, she mentioned that plans to push the town into a sectarian conflict was clear since the beginning of the Syrian revolution, where “Shabiha” used to humiliate and arrest people on barriers, beside many incidents of killing and abduction. “when one of “Shabiha” from the town was killed on a barrier, and his brother was killed in Hama, their father left the town, then many Shabihas’ families left Aqrab, with exodus of Alawite pro-regime people because of anticipated military action, then sever shelling started hitting the town”
An eyewitness of the massacre told what happened to her: “some armed people from the town detained around 500 people as hostages, when religious figures and Sheikhs intervened, 150 people were freed, to keep the Sheikhs in return. We were threatened of killing and exploding us with the building if anyone hit the abductors from outside”
The Free Syrian Army “FSA” requested the abductors to free the hostages and would let them to leave the area, but they refused.
The eyewitness confirmed that the building was exploded with hostages inside, including 125 children.
https://www.zamanalwsl.net/en/news/7275.html