It’s hard to believe that these shattered streets were once the main lavish construction materials market in the vivid real estate business in Syria before the Syrian crisis broke out. But, now it’s reduced to walls full of bullet holes and show rooms of death and horror. This is Yarmouk refugee camp; one of the main Palestinian refugee camps in Syria that became a focal point for the fighting around the capital Damascus when foreign-backed insurgents moved in on it by the end of 20-12. At first, insurgents managed to control the whole camp except for its police department but later on Palestinian volunteers started a battle to regain control over the camp. The battle in the Yarmouk camp is a very complicated and there are many reasons for that. It’s the closest point the insurgents have to the capital Damascus and as result won’t relinquish it easily. Also, people are still going back to check on their houses in the once-densely populated area. Not to forget narrow streets with high buildings next to each other. Fighting in Al-Yarmouk camp is taking place from one building to the other and from one room to the other making it a very difficult yet necessary fight. Palestinian volunteers are advancing into the camp slowly, facing extremist militants who have turned every building and every street into a bunker for them. The frontlines are so close that either side can only whisper not to be heard while traveling in a maze of apartments that allow them to travel for hundreds of meters and maybe kilometers without setting foot on a street. A booby-trapped door reminds you to walk slowly and the sounds of bullets urge you to run. It is hard to know how to move in Yarmouk camp with the help of our escorting Palestinian fighters who know the camp by heart. Yarmouk camp is one of the biggest Palestinian refugee camps in Syria. The battle over the control of Yarmouk camp is one of biggest battles around the capital Damascus, the future of this camp will decide the future of Damascus.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Jul 2013 11:05:22 +0000