Ahmed Jakal, member of the political committee, said that the rebels’ hold out against regime forces in Homs for nearly two years despite the crippling siege is historic and unique in the history of warfare. “Homs is the capital of the revolution, and rebels will never abandon it. They will soon return to complete the liberation of the city, and they agreed to the truce only to save the remaining civilians in Al Waer district, estimated at 6,000 civilians.” The blockade has left more than 2,200 people dead due to lack of food, medical supplies, and water, besides forcing 700,000 civilians out of their homes. “The Assad propaganda machine will depict the deal in Homs as a victory, but how could they be victorious when it took them two years and thousands of casualties to capture an area of three square kilometers? Let alone the substantial support from Russia and Iran which has been sending sectarian mercenaries to fight along Assad’s forces. “Rebels’ insistence on pulling out with their weapons is a message to the Assad regime that they will regroup and will never let go of the goals they rose up for,” Jakal stressed. It is worth noting that the truce in Homs was organized by the United Nations, whereby rebels pull out of Old Homs with their light arms, in return for giving access to relief convoys to enter rebel-held Al Waer district, also besieged by regime forces, besides allowing the entry of 18 trucks loaded with relief aid provided by the United Nations to northern Aleppo and the towns of Nibbul and Zahraa’. (Source: Syrian Coalition)
