Homs (Muhammad Anas)
Fear is increasing among approximately 250 thousand civilians trapped in the northern side of Homs by Regime army, as Assad forces have been targeting the Syrian citizens through their basic food and water, to obtain concessions and force them out of Homs's countryside, in addition to achieving new demographic change in the region , similar to what happened in " old Homs" in the previous months.
And when civilians sensed that Assad's forces aim to force a siege on them, after its army closed the smuggling routes and prevented food and other materials from entering the city, they rushed to the cities and villages' in rebel-held areas , and the markets there witnessed a strong demand for food.
A resident from "Rastan" city, said that the Syrian regime has closed all smuggling routes which pass-by the villages of southern Hama, after it controlled these villages, and he added that another two roads were closed completely yesterday, which are : Tel Omri east of Rastan and Hirbnafsah northwest of "Houla" area, and that stirred fear among people there that they will be cut off food supply , so they rushed to the markets to purchase and store whatever they can , in order to survive a long siege, according to information confirmed by Syria's news office.
"Uday Abu Fayez" a merchant from the city of "taldou" in Houla's plain, said that people are flocking to shops in the city in an unprecedented phenomenon, noting that the sales concentrated on food, particularly sugar and flour despite the high prices, and that after the regime closed the roads, people panicked, and tried to purchase whatever make them stay alive.
And for his part, media activist "Baybars Tallawy" confirmed that fuel has been cut off entirely from the countryside of Homs , which is a rebel-held area that was besieged for nearly four years.
And while some families sought to flee the town of" Houla " in Homs following the tightening of blockade imposed by the Syrian regime and its supporters (Iranian and Lebanese militias ), the area has been witnessing an influx of thousands of displaced people from Hama city, heading toward "Houla", being the only path available to them, which means increasing the already complicated situation.
Those families have suffered from great hardships during the displacement process, because of the mud that resulted from the rain, which caused some families to lose their children during the transition process from one village to another.
This comes, while militant factions are still preoccupied with fierce battles in "Houla" countryside to prevent regime forces and its militias, which are protected by the Russian aviation cover, from advancing to rebel-held areas .
Moreover, these areas and neighborhoods, where clashes take place, have witnessed also fierce rocket attacks that lasted for more than three days, according to activists in the area.
