Life returns to normal in Syria's Hama

HAMA, Syria

Life has begun to return to normal in Syria’s Hama province, which was recently captured by the groups that overthrew the Baath regime in Syria.

In Hama, where the people expressed sympathy for the groups that liberated the city from the collapsed regime forces, bread distribution resumed in the city center.

As life returned to normal, the police force resumed work, and the streets were cleaned.

The abandoned tanks of the fallen Baathist regime army were noticeable in the city, and the people of Hama removed the posters of Bashar al-Assad and his father, Hafez al-Assad, from the streets.

Residents celebrated the liberation of Hama with joyful demonstrations, chanting slogans against Assad and his family.

Maher Al Masry, a resident of Hama, shared his joy over the city's liberation with Anadolu, saying that Bashar al-Assad followed the same methods as his father, subjecting them to suffering, persecution, and all kinds of torture.

“Instead of protecting us, the Syrian army did the opposite. It destroyed our country and killed our children. There is no return to this cruel regime,” Masry said.

He also noted that Hama did not receive any services during Assad’s rule, with unpaved streets, constant power outages, and widespread corruption.

Masry emphasized that the collapsed Assad forces turned their tanks’ barrels on civilians, bombing women and children, but expressed hope for "a bright future with the youth."

'There was neither water nor electricity'

Muhenned Seffef, another resident, said they left Hama “because of the cruel regime.”

Seffef recalled living through "fearful" times when the regime and Russia bombed civilians in Hama.

He added that the regime banned prayers in the army and mistreated them, saying: “At the beginning, things were very bad in Hama, there were no services. There was no water or electricity. But now we expect good things from them (the anti-regime forces).”

'We could hardly find bread, sometimes we were begging'

Muhammed Kizilbash, a resident of the city, shared that they were under intense pressure during the regime period, saying: “They were torturing us.

"We had no day or night, I was imprisoned four times in one year, they confiscated our assets, we could hardly find bread, sometimes we were begging.”

He added that the groups that ousted the regime treated them well after entering Hama and did not disturb anyone.

'For 50 years under regime, Hama was full of cruelty, oppression'

Mazen Harrif, a resident of Hama, stated that they were humiliated and oppressed daily under the regime, saying: "For 50 years under the regime, Hama was full of oppression, cruelty, corruption, and favoritism.

"The state had no work for the people; it was sucking the blood of the citizens.”

Harrif also mentioned that the groups that toppled the regime showed respect and kindness towards them.

Developments in Syria

Following the Nov. 27 outbreak of clashes between anti-regime groups and Assad regime forces, Bashar al-Assad and his family fled to Russia on Sunday after anti-regime groups took control of the capital, Damascus, marking the fall of the Baath Party regime, which had been in power in Syria since 1963.

*Writing by Serdar Dincel in Istanbul