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From Syrian war zone-REPORTING â€“ PHOTO

From Syrian war zone-<font color=red>REPORTING â€“ PHOTO</font>

18 August 2012 22:55 (UTC +04:00)

We are grilling in the sunshine under 45 C temperature indeed. There is no even little bush to find shelter from the sun, but people are flowing from Syria toward Turkey by cycles, motocycles escaping from war in their country. The number of Syrian refugees reaches hundreds of thousands.

- There was a time when we didnâ€™t like Turkey, but now we take refuge here, Ahmad al-Makum said. He is refugee from Syriaâ€™s Azaz town and took refuge in Kilis, Turkey. He will take us by his car to opposite side of the border.

â€œMy daughter-in-law was pregnant, but lost her child while escaping from the warâ€

Ahmad is 55. His son was working in police in southern Dara city of Syria. He hanged photo of his son from his car may be someone could recognize this missing man.

- We donâ€™t know whether he died or is alive. My daughter-in-law didnâ€™t want to leave Syria. She was saying that she wouldnâ€™t without Fouad. She couldnâ€™t stay in a tent here, goes outside to look at the road. She was pregnant, but lost her child, Fouadâ€™s only memory.

He is cryingâ€¦.

***

Turkish border guard checks the passports. He took my passport to the senior officer and then invited me to his office.

-Sir, it is very dangerous there. Do you have security?

- Yes.

But I am lying. Ahmad was my only driver and security. I paid him and it was his guarantee.

- I will pay to soldiers and they will secure us, Ahmad said.

After checking passports, we passed the neutral territory and entered Syria. It needs to cast a look around to make sure that you enter a land where completely different war is going. 20-25-year old irregular soldiers, traces of bullets and Syrian Liberation Armyâ€™s flag on the customs officeâ€¦.

Ahmad knows everywhere there. Despite they knew that we are from Azerbaijan, they didnâ€™t demand any visa. Ahmad told them that I am a journalist. They checked my bag, shaking Kalashnikov guns, stamped my passport and wished me good journey.

- Ahmad, what is a stamp? Did they do it themselves?

- Donâ€™t afraid, it is not fabricated, - he laughed. â€“ Turkey recognized this stamp. They seized it from Assadâ€™s custom officers.

â€œIt was a cityâ€

We are heading to Azaz. It is about 25 km of way. We saw tanks just while entering Syrian territory and moving about 500 m. Ahmad said that war approached 500 m of Turkish borders. Opposition forces withdrew Assadâ€™s soldiers from there. Now Syrian Liberation Army is controlling the north of Syria, as well as Azaz, where we are going. It is 40 km far from Aleppo.

- This is Azaz. It was a city, real city. They ruined it.

Ruins are everywhere there. I asked Ahmad to take us to the center of the city.

- There is no center. Thatâ€™s all what the war left.

â€œWe found our neighborâ€™s hand at a distance of 30 m from hereâ€

The city was ruined indeed. Warplanes launched intensive air strikes on Azaz at night to August 16. The opposition forces told us that every bomb weights 450 kg. One of the bombs fell into Mohammadâ€™s store. The store owner showed us wreckages.

- There is a large whole in the roof. The store was ruined. Three people were killed in nearby house. We found the neighborâ€™s hand at a distance of 30 m from here.

â€œThe childrenâ€™s bodies were slicedâ€

Davud ibn Yahya is the Imam of this area. He said that he didnâ€™t expect it from Assad.

- First they bombed the city and then tanks entered. They were firing around. I told people to take refuge in the mosque. As if someone directed the planes that the people are in the mosque. They threw a bomb to the mosque 10 minutes later. Over ten people were killed. The bodies of two children were sliced.

***
I am in Ahmadiyya district of the city. It was the central part of the city earlier and was bombed intensively. The school, buildings, stores, houses were ruined. The people are searching for missing under the ruins. Our driver said that there was bad smell there next day.

- It was very hot and we have no technical means to gather the wreckages. The people pulled out bodies with hands. There are many missing. May be some of them are under the ruins still.

â€œI could bury only my sonâ€™s headâ€

Ahmad took us to the house of 60-year-old Sudeif. Only walls remain after his house. Sudeyf is looking into an unknown point. Ahmad says that he fell into this state several days ago. He doesnâ€™t eat and drink. He is in the shock.

Sudeif is speaking hardly and Ahmad is interpreting weepingly. Sudeif lost two of his loved ones. His 5-year-old daughterâ€™s leg was amputated. He couldnâ€™t find the body of his son. He says that those who found the bodies of their loved ones in Azaz were happy.

- I could find and bury only head of my son.

- My nerves were shot. I want to run awayâ€¦

Tarikâ€™s house was also ruined. He is living now in his brother-in-lawâ€™s house. He says that he will not leave for Turkey. His son is fighting on the side of opposition. He is concerned about him. His brotherâ€™s family was completely killed by a bomb.

- My brother, his wife and two children were killed. We found the body of his son yesterday. Assad also has children.

He is crying. Ahmad gives him water, but he refuses to drink.

There is a water deficiency in the city. They bring fresh water from Turkey. The water pipeline was destroyed.

Water for price of goldâ€¦

A few stores are open in Azaz. A bottle of water costs 3-4 manats by our currency. We bought a bottle of water for 200 Syrian pounds. When we left the store, 4-5-year-old child asked us for water. 3-4 children surrounded us. They want cola. They showed the sign of liberty.

Assad army left 17 destroyed tanks, children use them as a toy, take photos. Butâ€¦.

â€œSoldiers burnt down in the tanks, orâ€¦â€

The people spoke about the fate of the soldiers in those tanks three days ago. We were shocked.

â€¦..After the air strikes 17 tanks entered the city. All of them were destroyed. We are talking with a fighter named abu-Rahman. He says that they surrounded tanks in the central part of the city and then fired with mortars, Molotov cocktail.

- Some of the soldiers left the tanks and escaped. Others were killed. They burnt down in the tanks or were shot dead while escaping.

- Where are the bodies of soldiers? Why we should bury them. Their bodies were eaten by dogs on the streets, Shair said.

I was shocked by his saying, but Ahmad justified him.

Oppositionâ€™s headquarter

The oppositionâ€™s headquarter is situated in Azaz. (You can find the opposition commanderâ€™s interview on Lent.az later). All instructions are given from there, instructions about the carrying wounded people, food supply and coordination with Aleppo. The opposition doesnâ€™t recognize the national flag of Syria. They have own flags, torn flags in Azaz, as-Salam, on the checkpoint on borders with Turkey. Ahmad says that they have no time to make new flags because it is a war.

Live communication with Aleppo

The war will probably kill many people there. While being in Azaz, we heard that a settlement in 5-6 km away was bombed. They attacked the settlement with tanks and cannons. Next morning we learned that there are heavy casualties in Tal al-Ruvat. The people are leaving this small town tooâ€¦

There are 40 km from Azaz to Aleppo. Ahmadâ€™s daughter Zeynab lives in this city. Her husband is doctor and working for oppositionâ€™s army. We got information about Aleppo from Zeynab.

- Battles are going on. We canâ€™t leave our homes. 70 percent of the city is under the oppositionâ€™s control. Assadâ€™s forces strike from the air, but donâ€™t risk launching ground attacks. You can come until cityâ€™s entrance and visit some districts. But the city is not secured. They can bomb anytime.

Zeynab said there was a bread deficiency in the city. The people are hunger. There is a few humanitarian aid, which is not enough.

On the way to Aleppo

- Shall we go to Aleppo, Ahmad?
- Donâ€™t you hear? Zeynab said that it was not secured.
- She said 70 percent of the city is under the control of the opposition.
- I should talk with our commander.
- Pleaseâ€¦
- There is a half-hour way to Aleppoâ€¦