Syrian military and police officers who served under the Assad regime are being forced out of their subsidized housing near Damascus, making way for former rebel fighters and their families, Reuters reports. The complex in Muadamiyat al-Sham, which houses hundreds across multiple buildings, was originally built for Assad's officers.
The buildings' walls now display graffiti marking units for different divisions of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the prevailing Islamist group. This rapid replacement of former residents with fighters from poorer, previously rebel-held areas highlights the dramatic power shift between the opposing sides.
"We're transferring our children's schools, starting life over. I'm very sad, my heart is broken - this is our life and our children's lives," said Budour Makdid, 38, wife of a former military intelligence officer and resident of the complex.
Makdid's husband, who signed documents recognizing the new authority and surrendered his weapons, has returned to his family home in Latakia, a former Assad stronghold. Like many families, they need documentation from local authorities to remove their belongings.
Local administrator Khalil Ahmad, 69, said about 200 families have recently requested these necessary documents. He noted he hadn't received official notification about the evictions and only learned of the situation when residents began requesting paperwork.
"We were uprooted from our homes and areas in the dark of night, with only the clothes on our backs. They should be thankful they're allowed to take their belongings," said one HTS officer in an interview with Reuters.
The mass eviction in Muadamiyat al-Sham marks a stunning reversal of fortune in Syria's power structure, with former regime loyalists now joining the millions displaced since 2011. Even HTS leader Ahmad al-Sharaa has personally shown up to reclaim his old Damascus family home.
Kikar HaShabbat contributed to this article.
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