Syria Rebels Seize Christian Town of Maalula
إقرأ هذا الخبر بالعربية
Syrian rebels, including jihadists linked to Al-Qaida, have taken control of the historic Christian town of Maalula, north of Damascus, a watchdog and a resident said on Sunday.
Maalula is home to around 5,000 residents and is of strategic importance for the rebels, who are trying to tighten their grip around the capital Damascus, adding a northern post to existing bases in the south and west of the city.
Capturing the town, around 55 kilometers north of the capital, could also help rebels threaten the nearby highway between Damascus and Homs, a supply route used by the regime.
The battle for the town left at least 17 rebels dead and more than 100 wounded overnight, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that dozens of regime forces and pro-militia members were also killed or wounded in the fighting.
"Overnight, Syrian regime troops moved into the village, but rebel forces sent reinforcements and were able to take control of the entire town," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
He said the Al-Nusra Front, which has pledged allegiance to Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, was among the forces that had taken control of the town.
A Maalula resident, reached by phone, confirmed that regime forces had withdrawn from the area and rebel forces were now in control.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the resident said the situation on the ground was quiet.
"The rebels are inside Maalula, all of Maalula. The government troops have pulled out of Maalula," the resident said.
Abdel Rahman said "fierce fighting broke out between regime forces and rebel fighters overnight, and the soldiers withdrew to the outskirts of the town."
Troops were still stationed around the town, raising the possibility of renewed fighting.
Picturesque Maalula is nestled under a large cliff and is considered a symbol of the Christian presence in Syria.
Many of its inhabitants speak Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus Christ that only small, scattered communities around the world still use.
It is full of troglodyte caves dating back to the first centuries of Christianity, and also houses the Mar Takla Greek Orthodox monastery.
The clashes first erupted on Wednesday, when Al-Nusra Front fighters and other Islamist rebels attacked a regime checkpoint at one entrance to the town.
The advance raised fears of attacks against churches or Christians in the town but on Friday, the opposition Syrian National Coalition said rebels had withdrawn from the area.
On Saturday, the Observatory said rebel forces were fighting pro-regime militias in the west of the town, and were also engaged in clashes with Syrian troops on the outskirts of Maalula.
08 September 2013, 10:18
919
Again?
Didn't the rebels supposedly withdraw because the town had no strategic value? What are they up to, I wonder?
08 September 2013, 10:52
811
I've seen numerous troubling footage regarding their view and conduct on places of worship and I don't like it. The inconsistency of their behavior and claims puts me at an unease regarding the ethicality.
No idea really. I reciprocate the question for insight.
08 September 2013, 11:21
1817
Are they not the same people ( Rebels) the US want to help ?
What a complete farce , what would they do when or if the US do launch an attack against the Syrians ! I believe not 1400 , nor 100 000 but over a million people shall perish in only 6 months within the first strikes by the US in our Region ! What would the US do then ? Call upon Israel for help? Then another million shall perish . What then , should they called upon the EU for help ? Then a further million shall perish ! What then , should Russia be called in to help ? BUT WHO ? By that time we would have lost count of how many lives have perished , then what ? WW3?
Signed Wolf !!!!
09 September 2013, 06:36
00
If the U.S. wanted to see Assad gone and help the rebels defeat Assad, they would have done it 2 years ago. Though calculated, big mistake by Iran and Syria to use C.W. If the C.W. had targeted these filthy Al-Qaeda, Al-Nusra or Al-zbelleh type foreign fighters with minimum foreseen casualties amongst the population, then I'd say Assad has the right to kill invaders by any means, specially terrorists. Saddam did it against the Invading Iranians though didn't sit well with the U.S. In my opinion, Saddam was within his rights, if and only if, those Iranian soldiers had already invaded Iraqi territories and were inside Iraq when the C.W. were unleashed.
09 September 2013, 06:36
10
Here, If anybody thinks that the West (Like the British) and/or the U.S. supplied these filthy terrorist type rebels with the C.W. to blame it on Assad, then this U.S. President who didn't want to have anything to do with M.E. wars, would have had the support of the West, Syria would have been attacked by now and not find himself alienated. By killing babies with C.W., Assad demonstrated that he will do anything at his disposal to stay in power. So do Russia and China who vicariously have blood on their hands. If it wasn't Assad, I think either Saudi Arabia, Libya or Qatar who had been supporting the Jihadist rebels (I might even add Al-Qaeda/Nusra without proof) would be inclined to do it in order to force the hands of the U.S. shortsighted and arrogant President who drew the "red line" on his own without first consulting his Congress and/or allies.
08 September 2013, 11:30
1216
Shou? Where are the Al Qaeda sympathizers now? Yes yes, FSA-Al Qaeda is secular and moderate! They want to protect minorities! They just want a democracy!You can put lipstick on an FSA-Al Qaeda terrorist, but they'll still be an FSA-Al Qaeda terrorist.
May the noble people of Maalula prevail over the barbaric, heart/kidney-consuming FSA-Al Qaeda cannibal terrorists and their main sponsor, the kingdom of terrorism.
08 September 2013, 14:53
137
LoL, Volf is someone we know under various nicknames....
If it makes him happy and makes him feel 'important' to be voted up, should we refuse him to do so? ;-)
Haraam, I pity him, he must be “mal dans sa peau„ !
08 September 2013, 14:54
137
They don't argue, they insult..... Typical M8 behaviour. (sadly)
09 September 2013, 08:50
00
I'm saddened to know that you are saddened by some behavior by some. May I suggest that you skip over "somes" comments and only read those by the other "somes?" They surely seem very classy, and thereby joyful. You are so sensitive and do not deserve to be saddened! After all, why can't everybody be perfect, or, let's say, blessed? Now this is saddening. No?
08 September 2013, 15:43
23
WOLF: You claim to have witnessed fellow soldiers captured and executed by the LF. All I can say is you are a lier. The only people running with this story are the SSNP. And they also claim that Piere Jomael was killed by the LF. You sir are affiliated with the SSNP, you people are rotten to the bone. As for the disasterous conflict that erupted in East Beirut, Aoun was the one who gave the command to the army to disarm the LF. He accomplished his mission, and left every other faction in Lebanon armed.
This paved the way for the Syrians to re-enter Beirut and storm the Presidental Palace. Nobody in Lebanons History has been so destructive to the Christian community as Aoun.
08 September 2013, 16:19
136
peacelover, don't feel bad about wolf, his sole purpose in life is to insult people who do not agree with his warped mind. He has done it to me many times and in the end I just stopped answering his insults.
08 September 2013, 16:31
710
It happened that the only Christian community survived in the ME is the one in Lebanon. Iraq, Egypt and now Syria, the Christians lost major. The only factor was Assad, the father, he understood the conspiracy against Christians and he was able to prevent it in Lebanon. I hope Bashar can pull some strength and play this better. Now for some idiots Christian in Lebanon who think Assad attacked them during the civil war, I would say, I feel sorry for your brainwashed Geagea way
08 September 2013, 16:32
711
It happened that the only Christian community survived in the ME is the one in Lebanon. Iraq, Egypt and now Syria, the Christians lost major. The only factor was Assad, the father, he understood the conspiracy against Christians and he was able to prevent it in Lebanon. I hope Bashar can pull some strength and play this better. Now for some idiots Christian in Lebanon who think Assad attacked them during the civil war, I would say, I feel sorry for your brainwashed Geagea way
08 September 2013, 22:08
24
Maalula is less than 5 kilometers from Lebanon and Hizb stronghold, and yet no help was sent. Letting Islamists take the town sure help scare all Christians and surely serves the Syrian regimes propaganda.
09 September 2013, 05:16
00
Thank you for betting your life. Your likes have bet theirs in the past and only the lives of the innocent were taken. So go bet your life in some urinal where it belongs. "I will bet my life" huh!
08 September 2013, 23:02
32
The FSA must be supported much more assertively. Weapons, training, organizational still, etc are urgently needed to make the FSA less dependent on groups like Al Nusra. The West's failure to act has been helping both Assad and the Takfiris. Hopefully the US congress will make the right decision tomorrow and things will begin to shift.
