When the Syrian Government’s Troops and Shabiha attacked the Bayida village of Banyas and killed 244 residents, and cut children legs, the residents fled to the neighboring fields. No one thought to retreat to the neighboring Alawite villages, the same where the infamous massacre of the Ras Alnaaba neighborhood of Banyas occurred, where more than 227 residents were killed and families were forced to flee.
On the other side, on Sunday 4/8/2013(26 Ramadan), while Lattakia countryside battles intensified, the Syrian Islamic Liberation Front and Free Syrian Army initiated battles to liberate Syrian Army’s observatories: Anbatah, Tala, Baroda, Estrba, and Kafria. All these towns contain rocket launching stations.
Most of the youth in these villages, if not all of them, recruits for what is known as the National Defense Army and People’s Committees, which are assists in organizing Shabiha work. They are all armed fighters.
During clashes and continuous shelling from both sides, many women and children fled in the near villages of these observatories towards Latakia governorate, while others couldn’t because of the intensification of battles.
Specifically, in the nearby village, where the FSA existed, which was under fire, they couldn’t find their neighbors.
Tens of fleeing women and children from clashes from the following Alwite villages: down and upper Kafira, Bait Shaabor, Balotah, resorted to Wadi Shikhan and Dawrine Sunni villages.
A Clear example of national unity:
Om Ibrahim and the elder lady from Wadi Shikhan village, his big son Ibrahim who was working in KSA was arrested by Security forces when he came to visit his family two years ago. He was then killed under torture. Her husband Abo Ibrahim Trad was fired from his job because of the report he received from his Alwit friend. Their other sons joined FSA, and are from there:
Om Ibrahim received in her house the biggest number of displaced Alwite women and their children, she said literally: “Oh my mother they hurt their hearts, come and see them.”
The fleeing Alwite didn’t resort randomly, they went to specific people they knew from before the revolution, or by their friends.
According to SNHR documentation: There are no family members in Lattakia countryside of a victim , detainee, or whose house at least burned down or was destroyed by continuous shelling on their villages from a year and a half ago, but they kept their national unity.
It must be mentioned that during the regime attack on Hifa in August 2012, tens of Sunni families resorted to Mziraa and Manjila and Rodo Alwite villages.
This video shows a dialogue between an Alawite elder and the opposition fighter Abu Firas in the Astarba village located near the Salma area of Lattakia province after opposition forces managed to take its control. The old man is a resident of Ein Al-Jouzeh village and he was in Astarba at the moment it was taken under control by opposition fighters. The date is 6th of August 2013.
