Why do Deir ez-Zor's inhabitants refuse to return to areas under regime's control?

The Syrian regime has taken parts of Deir ez-Zor from the hands of IS mercenaries, but its people refuse to return to it until this moment because of the regime's practices and Russian bombing that has turned Deir ez-Zor into a place where it is impossible to live.

28 April, 2018 05:15

AL-TABQA

Politically, Russian support for the regime increased, in addition to that, veto power is being used against any decision taken against the regime in Security Council, on the military level, the intensive Russian aerial coverage that has upset Syria's balance of power, too.

Moreover, the repeated use of chemical weapons and massacres committed against civilians without any deterrent and forced displacement in the areas under its control as part of the policy of demographic change in the area, which was also used by Turkish occupation army and its mercenaries, was an obstacle to the return of displaced persons to their areas.

All these facts and many others prevented citizens from areas under the control of the regime forces and mercenaries of "free army" backed by Turkey to return to their cities and villages and their last decision was to stay under the Syrian Democratic Forces’ auspices, because they found security and stability and a good standard of living despite the simple possibilities available and the absence of the international support.

"We know the brutality of the regime's army and Russia and its indiscriminate shelling of civilians," said (F.D), a displaced woman from al-Mayadin city in the eastern countryside of Deir ez- Zor city, which is now under the control of the regime. "We have suffered before and many tragedies have befallen on us and woes brought by the regime's planes and artillery.

(F.D) was living in a street al-Myadin city which was subjected to more than 7 air raids by Russian airplanes, she lost her 24-year-old daughter, leaving behind her also a girl entered her fourth month to be raised by her grandmother (FD)

"I can no longer stay in my house, my family and I, under the weight of those conditions and the dead bodies that filled the houses and streets and we were driven to the nearest area liberated by Syrian Democratic Forces and ended up in al-Tabqa city.

Despite the arrival of al-Tabqa city for more than 6 months and the safety and stability we have found in it, the fear continues to haunt me when I remember those days and the regime's and Russia's barbarity, and I want to return to my home, but I am afraid of the regime's treachery.

(H/S)

ANHA