(Zaman Al Wasl)- Testimonies from people who entered the capital’s western town of Darayya have assured that the regime did not only destroy the neighborhoods with its bombs, but also it entered residential houses, shops and facilities—public and private—stealing all that could benefit it. The extent of the damage to the cladding, furniture and infrastructure appeared to be shocking.
Hassan Dayrani (pseudonym), one of the residents displaced from Darayya at the end of 2012, said that he entered his house in the Shamiat neighborhood, the closest to the road leading to the capital, to be shocked at what was left of the expensive furniture, decor, electrical appliances and luxury home appliances.
"I got a security card that allowed me to visit the city in the daytime, and when I visited it I found nothing at home."
Dayrani had expected the furniture and other equipment that could be easily carried to be stolen, but what he did not imagine was "the electricity wires to be pulled from the walls, the floor tiles and ceramics to be removed... they even uprooted the toilet, which was not ready for use."
Since the regime's incursion into the neighborhoods of Al-Jamiat and Shridi Square in the winter of 2013, there have been systematic thefts of all houses of the area.
Fighter Abu al-Abed, who was stationed in Darayya but chose to move to Idlib on the eve of the evacuation agreement was signed by the regime with the rebels, said, “We heard about the systematic raiding and robbery that the regime carried out in the neighborhoods beyond our control. We did not imagine the extent of the thefts until the first negotiating committees came out from inside Darayya in 2014 and saw how the city's buildings and public and private facilities became completely empty concrete structures. ”
In September 2016, after 1,350 days, fighting ceased in Darayya. Most of the fighters and civilians left the city towards Idlib (northwestern Syria), while some went to regime shelters in Damascus countryside.
While regime fighters were pushing, months before the evacuation deal was signed, in 90 of the rebel-held neighborhoods, their comrades in the regime's army and national defense were working with great greed to steal furniture and various equipment for homes and shops.
Some residents, who now live near Darayya, accuse FSA fighters of stealing houses that were part of their area. However, these accusations appear to be inaccurate, as many people who were inside the city at the time confirm.
Abu al-Abed, who witnessed the siege, said that he is aware of many incidents of theft by some of the property of the city. “They were limited because of the strict rules of the rebels’ security office…Yes, we have entered civilian houses, but our search was focused solely on food because of the harsh siege.”
Today, residents who wish to enter Darayya must register with the refurbished outpost inside the city to obtain a security card to visit the city. Dozens received these cards but did not live in their original homes as they lacked all means for living or permanent residence, finding nothing but walls.
The eight-year-old war has claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands and forced 13 million people from their homes, half of whom have left their shattered homeland.
By Mohamed Kassah
Zaman Al Wasl
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