RT EXCLUSIVE: ‘Post-apocalyptic’ scenes of razed & ransacked Syrian village (VIDEO)
The Syrian village of Morek was besieged by terrorists for nine months until government troops freed it in October 2014. One year on from its liberation, RT’s Murad Gadziev visits the village that now resembles a post-apocalyptic movie rather than a bustling community.
Located in the Hama Governorate, Morek was the homeland of over 14,000 people a decade ago.
Welcome to Morek, #syria. Held for 9 months by Nusra&Co, now retaken fully by govt military. Totally deserted pic.twitter.com/5aKdxg0trP
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
It is now totally deserted as most of its dwellers were displaced by a nearly nine-month long battle between Syrian Army troops and jihadist rebels.
Now the village appears to have been completely destroyed by fighters. What used to be peoples’ houses nowadays is nothing more than piles of rubble and the visible foundations of the former structures.
Not one house escaped fighting in #morek. Nusra Front (Al-qaeda in #syria) fought to hold it tooth and claw pic.twitter.com/d4U7KlTSQ7
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
RT’s Murad Gadziev visited one of Morek’s homes. Totally destroyed and looted, there is no sign of people ever having lived here.
Filmed this from what was once someone's living room. Withdrawing Jihadists apparently looted the place clean #syriapic.twitter.com/U2j03Q85cP
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
Gadziev’s footage strongly resembles scenes from post-apocalyptic movies.
Morek was fought over for more than a year. This week, #syria forces finally retook the town's outskirts. pic.twitter.com/OIEJTJdsR0
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
Despite being liberated by the Syrian government on October 23 2014, anti-Assad rebels, including the Al-Qaeda affiliated Al-Nusra front, have remained at Morek’s doorstep and sporadic fighting continues.
#syria army artillery position near morek, firing at jihadists about 10 km north pic.twitter.com/S62whlbWha
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
#syria army officer told us that it's not all black and white: even now islamist rebels do occasionally attack pic.twitter.com/4Y5uchTafg
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015
Overall, Hama remains a battlefield, along with Idlib, Homs, Aleppo, Latakia and Damascus provinces, where Russian airstrikes have hit targets associated with Islamic State and Al-Nusra.
#saa artillerymen brew coffee over campfire between barrages. Deafening explosions undoubtedly also help stay awake pic.twitter.com/qRDuS1dey3
— Murad Gazdiev (@MuradoRT) 28 октября 2015