In northern Damascus lies the neighbourhood of Barzeh, split between Barzeh with its pre-fabricated houses, old Barzeh al-Balad, and the slum of Ish al-Warwar.
It has been the scene of fighting for more than 15 months.
Like in other parts of the country, peaceful protests there gave way to armed confrontations, when the government brutally cracked down.
But there is something particular about Barzeh. It is mainly inhabited by Sunni Muslims in Barzeh al-Balad valley, and Alawites, loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, concentrated in Ish al-Warwar on Mount Qassioun.
Government forces used the mountain to launch artillery and rocket attacks on Barzeh and elsewhere in the Ghouta, an agricultural belt around Damascus.
The valley of Barzeh al-Balad suffered the worst violence, with government shelling, kidnapping and mass killings by paramilitary Popular Committees, now known as the National Defence Army, mainly from the Alawite minority.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25781412