Every morning, people in the Homs district of Waar go about their business safely, under the protection of the Syrian army. This daily scene reflects the blockade imposed on Waar, and the modus vivendi that has emerged between the Syrian regime and the insurgents in the district, where there are few signs of any military operations.
Homs – Waar is surrounded by bloodbaths taking place in central Syria, like in the embattled countryside of Damascus and the beleaguered neighborhoods of Homs itself, many of which have been leveled during the two-year conflict. The Waar neighborhood, populated with civilians, and behind them, masked militants, is fed up with the blockade imposed on it.
The 300,000 people who live in the new and old parts of Waar are paying the price for a “revolution” that they did not side with. They became the opposition’s human shields to prevent the Syrian army from entering.