Kefraya and al-Faoua: Victims of a Terrorist Siege and the Silence of the World

Ali Hassan

The residents of the towns of Kefraya and al-Faoua in [Syria's] rural Idlib province are continuing to endure the suffering from the siege. The two islands have been isolated from the whole world for four years - surrounded by terrorists. The terrorists thought they would be easy to defeat. They were surprised by the legendary steadfastness of the residents and the Popular Committees, who are launching heroic campaigns to protect the two towns from repeated terrorist attacks.

"There is not enough food and drink to quench the thirst and hunger of the residents of the two towns," said Mohammed Zanouba, a young man hailing from the besieged towns of Kefraya and al-Faoua, in a telephone conversation with the al-Ahed Website. "The current situation is very bad and the suffering of the people is great and indescribable. Humanitarian assistance has not been provided to them since September of last year. The food and medical aid which were loaded in four cars were consumed and did not last long."

"The people live with a lack of food and water. Even drinking water is no longer available. They are replacing it with rainwater. But summer is nearing and the month of Ramadan comes at the beginning of it. If humanitarian assistance and food is unable to enter, the residents will be in big trouble," he added.

According to Zanouba, the security situation in the two towns is also very difficult. The rocket attacks against civilians continue violently and daily, in addition to the intense sniper attacks by terrorists. Zanuba points out that "the popular committees defending the two towns in the face of terrorist attacks are stationed around the clock. They are doing all they can to protect the besieged civilians and not allow any terrorists to approach. They have also thwarted the recent attacks launched as part of a campaign of anger in retaliation to [the loses suffered by] their [terrorist] peers in Eastern Ghouta. The rocket attack accompanying the campaign killed two children and wounded more than fifteen people."

Zanouba explains that "so far nothing is known about the abductees who went missing a year ago in the terrorist attack that targeted a convoy transporting the towns people. It was part of an agreement made at the al-Rashdeen crossing in Aleppo. Information available so far indicates that they are in Turkey."

* Lifting the siege on Kefraya and al-Faoua is a priority for the Syrian army

For his part, political researcher Muhannad al-Daher told al-Ahed News Website that "the towns of Kefraya and al-Faoua are two of the most affected areas by the terrorists' siege and rocket attacks apart from hunger and thirst."

He hoped that the residents of the two towns remain steadfast and patient because the Syrian army will lift the siege no matter how long it takes. He also added that the duty of the Syrian state today is to provide humanitarian and medical aid one way or another.

According to al-Daher, the Syrian army was aiming to lift the siege on the two besieged towns during its military operations in which the Abu Duhur military airport was recaptured a while ago. However, the terrorist organizations located in the vicinity of the capital were planning under the orders of their operators to storm the capital from several axes; the first of which was from Eastern Ghouta and the second was from the areas of al-Rahiba and Jiroud. This matter forced the Syrian state to stop the army operations in Idlib and focus their military efforts on Eastern Ghouta, which was cleared from terrorists. He pointed out that "the evacuation of the terrorist groups to Idlib was wise in terms of making the governorate a spot for eliminating terrorists until the resumption of military actions in it as well as making it a spot for the terrorists to eliminate each other."

The expert pointed out that "the residents of Kefraya and al-Faoua are able to be patient for a little longer because the next phase will be fast and swift. It would faster than what happened in Eastern Ghouta. Thus the issue of lifting the siege on the two towns is just a matter of time not more. The military action will resume very soon in Idlib. Any forces of the Syrian army that will progress to the province is on its way to its first objective which is ending the suffering of the people of besieged Kefraya and al-Faoua." He asserted, "the next destination of the Syrian army will be towards liberating Idlib."

Source: Al-Ahed