Although we had been receiving videos and photos from the city under siege, as Assad’s troops conquered most part of the strategic city of Homs, it now becomes clear what utter devastation the siege caused.
The clashes between Free Syrian Army fighters and al-Qaeda backed extremist rebels are becoming more frequent and violent, with the disunity giving Assad’s forces an advantage.
On June 23, Father Francois Murad, 49, “died when he was shot inside his church” in the Christian village of al-Ghassanieh, near Jebel Akrad in Latakia province with the town under the control of extremist group Jabhat al-Nusra. Priests are becoming targets in the Syrian civil war.
Is arming the rebels in Syria a way to balance the conflict and reduce sectarianism and radicalisation within the rebel ranks, or will it open a Pandora’s box in the Middle East?
After two years of war, Syrian civilians now live with limited or no access to electricity, medicine or water. Refugees often live in unsanitary camps that are breeding grounds for diseases. As summer hits the region, these struggles will only intensify.