The Syrian Observatory For Human Rights

Amid Russian disregard, pro-regime gunmen loot the first village of Homs’ northern countryside after carrying out the displacement agreement of tens of thousands of civilians to the Syrian north

Homs province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights: the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring the continuation of looting operations by the gunmen loyal to the regime forces in the northern countryside of Homs and southern countryside of Hama, where reliable sources told the Syrian Observatory that looting and stealing of homes took place in al-Sama’lil village, which has been controlled recently by the regime forces within the agreement between representatives of the northern countryside of Homs and the southern countryside of Hama, and between the Russians and the regime, in a repeated scene that comes after the control of the regime forces and militiamen loyal to them of any area in Syria, where they loot property of civilians immediately after controlling the area.

In a similar context, the Syrian Observatory published yesterday, Tuesday that several people were killed and injured after being shot by gunmen loyal to the regime forces in the far southern countryside of Hama, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: at least 8 people were heading to Aqrab area in the southern countryside of Hama, in order to “settle their situations” in accordance with the recent agreement, which took place between representatives of north Homs and south Hama, and between the Russians and the regime, where the vehicle that was transporting them was shot. Sources confirmed that the source of the gunfire was armed men loyal to the regime forces in Kafr Qadah area, which killed 3 of them and injured 5 others.

This targeting created resentment among the locals who remained in northern countryside of Homs and the southern countryside of Hama according to Russian guarantees, and the resentment came in conjunction with monitoring by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights an anticipation for the depart of a new batch of displaced people from the northern countryside of Homs to the Syrian north, and in the details obtained by the Syrian Observatory: the registration of lists in Talbiseh city in the north of Homs province is expected to take place on Tuesday, the 22nd of May 2018, in preparation for the departure of the registered people in the next few days. Reliable sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that those who will get out will be fighters only of who have remained in order to “settle their situation”.

Also local sources confirmed to the Syrian Observatory that this exit process came with the rise of apprehension among those who chose to stay and not to go out; on board the displacement buses towards Afrin area and Idlib province, where they are afraid of an increased intervention by regime and its forces in the areas which Russia had given previous guarantees after the regime forces entered them, but the successive violations of Russian guarantees aroused apprehension of arresting civilians, defectors or fighters of who remained and chose the “settlement and reconciliation” with the regime, and what increased the tension is people’s fear -in the areas where the displacement took place in the northern countryside of Homs and southern countryside of Hama- from arresting their young men by the regime forces, for those who are within the required age and taking them to conscription.

The Syrian Observatory published on the 18th of May 2018 that the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitored the departure of buses of those which entered al-Sama’lil Crossing in the northern countryside of Homs a few hours ago, where the buses departed today evening including about 570 persons aboard of those who were stuck in the area of al-Sama’lil Crossing, out of about 2000 others, while it is not known until now whether the remaining stuck people in the area will depart within a later batch, or the Russians and dignitaries of the area persuaded them to stay, where it rose to 35000, the number of people displaced of fighters and civilians from the southern countryside of Hama and the northern countryside of Homs, they were transferred on board of 9 batches to Idlib province, Afrin area and the northeastern countryside of Aleppo.