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WORLD NEWS Saturday 28 July 2018

Syrians celebrate retaking town near Israel-occupied Golan

By ALBERT AJI concerns that the group
Associated Press may be restricting the
QUNEITRA, Syria (AP) — Syr- movement of others still liv-
ian officials on Friday cel- ing under its grip.
ebrated the recapture of U.N. humanitarian chief
this symbolic southern town Mark Lowcock told the
near the Israeli-occupied Security Council that hu-
Golan Heights, raising a flag manitarian aid needs to be
and playing the national urgently scaled up across
anthem to mark the victory the southwest, particularly
over the armed groups that in Quneitra. “An estimated
controlled it for more than 110,000 newly displaced
four years. people remain in Quneitra
A picture of President governorate, in areas that
Bashar Assad was hoisted have largely been cut off
on a partially destroyed from sustained humanitar-
monument in central Qu- ian assistance,” Lowcock
neitra, where his father had said. Back in Quneitra, Mar-
raised the Syrian flag after wan Ahmed Abdullah, a
Israel withdrew more than 49-year-old Syrian whose
four decades ago. four sons fought in the war,
Friday’s ceremony was at- including one who was
tended by hundreds of killed said he came to “cel-
flag-waving residents from Syrian soldiers arrive to Syria’s Quneitra border crossing between Syria and the Israeli-controlled ebrate victory.”
nearby villages, who sang Golan Heights, Thursday, July 26, 2018. “We’ll sacrifice our souls for
the anthem, danced and Associated Press Syria. What matters is for
cheered the Syrian army to a crossing that connects The Syrian government had They now are battling rem- peace and security to re-
and affiliated militias. Quneitra to the Golan. left the destruction in Qu- nants of the Islamic State turn to Syria like before.”
Quneitra was abandoned Even though the countries neitra as a reminder of the group, which continues to Mohammed Khaba, 50,
after Israel destroyed it as are at war, families from war with Israel. hold territory at the south- said he came from the vil-
it withdrew in 1974 follow- the local Druze community Signs of the latest conflict ern tip of the region. lage of Khan Arnabah to
ing the Mideast war, al- divided by the demarca- also can be seen. On the The U.N. said the fight- celebrate the victory.
though Israel continued to tion line use the crossing drive to Quneitra, reporters ing has displaced 182,600 “It is a source of pride for
occupy the adjacent Go- to exchange visits. Farmers crossed a large sand bar- people who are currently in every Syrian. It is proof that
lan Heights, seized in 1967. also sent their apples over rier, apparently erected need of humanitarian assis- we are able to expunge
A cease-fire and a disen- the frontier. by the armed opposition tance, including in Sweida, terrorism from all over the
gagement agreement A field commander, speak- to separate the areas they the province adjacent to country,” he said. The Syr-
have largely held along the ing on condition of ano- controlled. Just past it, a Daraa and Quneitra. Ini- ian government considers
demarcation lines for four nymity in line with regu- fresh layer of dirt filled what tially around 300,000 were all opposition fighters to
decades. lations, said it was only a appeared to be a large estimated to have fled their be terrorists. Originally from
During Syria’s civil war, matter of time before the trench dug by the insur- homes, but many have re- the Golan Heights, Ayoub
armed groups captured U.N. peacekeeping force gents for fortification. turned after fighting subsid- has been living in Damas-
the town and large parts of is redeployed and civilians A village a few kilometers ed in some areas and sur- cus since his family was dis-
southwestern Syria, forcing can once again use the from Quneitra also was de- render deals were reached placed by the war with Isra-
a U.N. peacekeeping force crossing. stroyed, apparently in re- with armed opposition in el. He repeatedly returned
there to evacuate. With Syrian forces regain- cent fighting. others. to the area, which is home
The celebrations in Qunei- ing control of the town and The government offensive Before the fighting, some to Circassians as well as the
tra took place as Syrian crossing, only a handful of in southwestern Syria be- 55,000 people had lived in minority Druze community,
soldiers finalized their de- villages in Quneitra prov- gan June 19. Since then, the area now controlled until rebels seized it.
ployment to restore their ince remain outside of gov- pro-government forces by an IS-affiliated group. “I am ecstatic to raise
positions along the demar- ernment control, said the seized most of the areas in But several thousand have the flag, and God willing,
cation line for the first time Syrian Observatory for Hu- Daraa and Quneitra prov- managed to flee and it through Quneitra, we’ll re-
since 2014. man Rights, a Britain-based inces along the border with is not clear how many re- gain all occupied lands. I
The soldiers also deployed monitoring group. Jordan and the Golan. main, the U.N. said, raising am certain.”q