Writing by Faris al-Refai; Translation by Yusra Ahmed
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Salma al-Ghazali, was forced one day in 2013 to say good bye to her home town , Khirbet Ghazale, about 12 miles (17 km) northeast Daraa city, when she with her family found no option but to leave the town with hundreds of families after the regime forces’ invasion.
Khirbet Ghazaleh is situated at the international route between Damascus and Amman, which was targeted by shelling, home raids, arresting, shelling since Ma 2012. The town faced 6 military invasions supported with tanks and army forces, besides home raids to arrest rebels, as the town had stood by the revolution and demands of Syrian people of freedom and dignity, according to activist M. N.
“In July 1st , 2012, the town was a target for heavy mortar bombing and many were killed in Khirbit Ghazalah and the town of Katibah , and 3 days later, the town was targeted by helicopter rockets, besides more than 9000 shells of mortar, rockets’ launchers, tanks and more than 50 air raids of Meg warplanes, helicopters, and 6 land-land rockets. Almost 800 shells had hit the town in the battle of Jiser Horan", the activist detailed.
The regime forces has demolished 45 houses at the time, according to the activist and proofs from the Google-earth, besides dozens of burned houses.
The town had been evacuated from all its residents who counted almost 19 thousand people, after controlling the international route by the Free Syrian Army, then the town had turned out into a military barrack with empty burned looted houses.
According to statistics of the Local Council of Khirbit Ghazalah, most displaced people of the town have moved to other 8 towns in Daraa countryside, and smaller number in Daraa city and Damascus.
It is estimated that 1852 families live in the countryside of Daraa, while 1698 families moved to Jordan, 335 families in refugees camps. Many families moved to Europe.
Statistics showed that more than 170 orphans from the town live inside Syria, 50 orphans lost their parents by natural causes, while 120 one were killed during the war. There are almost 130 orphans in Jordan.
Mohammed is one f orphans live in Zaatari camp in Jordan, he is 10 years old, but still in grade 2, as he was late in joining school because of displacement and difficult living conditions, he has a 15-year-old brother who does not go to school in order to work and support the family.
“All I dream of is to go back to my school in our town, and go back home and live the life I use to live”, emotionally Mohammed expressed his feeling to Zaman Al Wasl.
Daraa, the cradle of Syrian revolution where the first demonstration took place in March 2011, after torturing school children by th security forces because they wrote captions and graphite on walls affected by the theme of the Arab Spring like “people want the regime down” and “Doctor, it’s your time now”.
(Zaman Al Wasl)- Salma al-Ghazali, was forced one day in 2013 to say good bye to her home town , Khirbet Ghazale, about 12 miles (17 km) northeast Daraa city, when she with her family found no option but to leave the town with hundreds of families after the regime forces’ invasion.
Khirbet Ghazaleh is situated at the international route between Damascus and Amman, which was targeted by shelling, home raids, arresting, shelling since Ma 2012. The town faced 6 military invasions supported with tanks and army forces, besides home raids to arrest rebels, as the town had stood by the revolution and demands of Syrian people of freedom and dignity, according to activist M. N.
“In July 1st , 2012, the town was a target for heavy mortar bombing and many were killed in Khirbit Ghazalah and the town of Katibah , and 3 days later, the town was targeted by helicopter rockets, besides more than 9000 shells of mortar, rockets’ launchers, tanks and more than 50 air raids of Meg warplanes, helicopters, and 6 land-land rockets. Almost 800 shells had hit the town in the battle of Jiser Horan", the activist detailed.
The regime forces has demolished 45 houses at the time, according to the activist and proofs from the Google-earth, besides dozens of burned houses.
The town had been evacuated from all its residents who counted almost 19 thousand people, after controlling the international route by the Free Syrian Army, then the town had turned out into a military barrack with empty burned looted houses.
According to statistics of the Local Council of Khirbit Ghazalah, most displaced people of the town have moved to other 8 towns in Daraa countryside, and smaller number in Daraa city and Damascus.
It is estimated that 1852 families live in the countryside of Daraa, while 1698 families moved to Jordan, 335 families in refugees camps. Many families moved to Europe.
Statistics showed that more than 170 orphans from the town live inside Syria, 50 orphans lost their parents by natural causes, while 120 one were killed during the war. There are almost 130 orphans in Jordan.
Mohammed is one f orphans live in Zaatari camp in Jordan, he is 10 years old, but still in grade 2, as he was late in joining school because of displacement and difficult living conditions, he has a 15-year-old brother who does not go to school in order to work and support the family.
“All I dream of is to go back to my school in our town, and go back home and live the life I use to live”, emotionally Mohammed expressed his feeling to Zaman Al Wasl.
Daraa, the cradle of Syrian revolution where the first demonstration took place in March 2011, after torturing school children by th security forces because they wrote captions and graphite on walls affected by the theme of the Arab Spring like “people want the regime down” and “Doctor, it’s your time now”.
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