Home World Government Victorious Rebel Fighters Take Over Former Military Housing Outside Damascus

Victorious Rebel Fighters Take Over Former Military Housing Outside Damascus

Victorious Rebel Fighters Take Over Former Military Housing Outside Damascus Pulse news network
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DAMASCUS: Families of former Syrian military officers face eviction as victorious rebels reclaim subsidized housing in Muadamiyat al-Sham.

The compound housed numerous families in over a dozen buildings for officers loyal to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

With the military being restructured, Assad-era officers are demobilized, and their families must vacate their longstanding residences.

Fighters under the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which seized the capital on Dec. 8, now move in.

Evictions Reflect a Shift in Power Dynamics

Buildings are marked with spray-painted names of rebel factions, designating them for specific fighters and their families.

Residents described being given just five days to vacate, leaving little time to reorganize their disrupted lives.

Local officials document evictions to facilitate belongings removal, ensuring former residents comply with the new directives peacefully.

Budour Makdid, 38, shared her grief as her family faced eviction after years spent living in the compound.

A Broken Family Prepares to Relocate

“My heart is broken,” said Makdid, the wife of an ex-military intelligence officer, explaining her struggles amid displacement.

Her husband, who signed agreements with the new authorities, returned to Latakia province, leaving her to organize the move.

Evicted families, like Makdid’s, face challenges relocating to ancestral homes or new cities far removed from their livelihoods.

For many, this displacement underscores the sharp reversal of fortunes for supporters of both sides in the conflict.

Rebels Gain Better Living Conditions

The fighters moving into Muadamiyat al-Sham mostly hail from impoverished rural regions long held by rebel factions.

Their sudden access to stable housing highlights shifting priorities under HTS governance, reshaping living standards for its supporters.

Residents of the buildings also expressed fear, given lingering resentment between displaced families and newly arrived rebels.

The rapid transition reinforces the challenges of fostering reconciliation in post-conflict Syria under this new power structure.

Marking a New Chapter for Syria

The evictions mirror broader societal changes, as former loyalist communities adjust to diminished influence under HTS dominance.

How these shifts affect Syria’s stability and ongoing recovery from years of conflict remains a deeply debated issue.

Despite surrendering weapons and complying with agreements, former Assad-era officers like Makdid’s husband cannot avoid their altered status.

As Muadamiyat al-Sham’s buildings change hands, they symbolize the tangible consequences of Syria’s enduring political transformation.

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