THE BATTLE FOR AL-ATAREB IN ALEPPO. ASSAD’S FORCES HAVE BEEN ATTACKING THIS TINY TOWN FOR MONTHS YET CANNOT MAKE IT’S RESIDENTS BOW TO ASSAD. Aleppo (Al-Atareb): May 29, 2012 - This town is no larger than one square kilometer. It lies about 25km west of Aleppo city and is on the road to Idleb, where the FSA has it’s strongest presence in Syria.

This town has been through hell. They have been occupied on several occasions, suffered brutal assaults by Russian helicopter gunships and have been shelled constantly for months. Yet Assad’s forces cannot take the town.

An Assadist helicopter gunship roams the skies as a burnt-out tank smolders. 

Another video of the fighting.

***INCREDIBLE FOOTAGE*** THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY REPEL AN ATTACK BY ASSAD’S FORCES AND SEND THEM FLEEING. Damascus (Douma): May 20, 2012 - The newly formed FSA battalion (seen here) sent hundreds of Assad’s men fleeing by foot and in their buses, trucks, vans, tanks and even by tractor.

Assad’s forces fled like the cowards they are. They signed up to murder unarmed Syrians. They did not sign up to fight.

Thanks @HamaEcho

ROCKET FIRED BY ASSAD’S FORCES ALMOST HITS THE CAMERMAN. Homs (Jobar): May 24, 2012 - Just like so many mornings in Homs, this one was the same. Residents woke to the shaking and sounds of a rocket attack by Assad’s forces against the city. They - the residents - are the target. 

There is no where to run, there is no where to hide. Assad’s forces are collectively punishing the people of Homs for protesting.

Thanks @Ugariti_Homsi

ASSAD’S GUNSHIPS WOULD FACE CERTAIN DEATH AGAINST ANY REAL ARMY - BUT AGAINST UNARMED CIVILIANS, THEY WORK JUST FINE. Idleb (Jabal Al-Zaweyeh): May 24, 2012 - Assad’s fleet of decrepit Russian made and supplied helicopter gunships bring a reign of terror over the towns and villages they target. Assad did not dare to use these helicopters to liberate the Golan Heights, it was never his intention (or his fathers) when he purchased them.

They always knew who the intended target was: Unarmed Syrians. 

Thanks @IbnOmar2005

WELCOME TO HOMS - A CITY OF A MILLION PEOPLE - NOW LEFT OBLITERATED AND EMPTY. PLEASE TAKE THE TOUR. Homs (Qusoor): May 23, 2012 - Words cannot describe the destruction. This is only a fraction of what we can see from a small mobile-phone camera on a few street corners. The reality is much worse.

Thanks @HamaEcho

A MORNING JUST LIKE ANY OTHER … SERENE SILENCE, BIRDS CHIRPING … AND THE TERRIFYING SOUND OF ROCKETS FLYING FOLLOWED BY SICKENING EXPLOSIONS. Homs (Rastan): May 23, 2012 - This is how the people of Rastan wake up each morning. The UN Observers refuse to stay in the city for more than a few hours due to the shelling by Assad’s forces. 

More shelling here.

Thanks @NuffSilence

ASSAD’S FORCES CONTINUE TO USE RUSSIAN HELICOPTER GUNSHIPS TO ATTACK TOWNS ACROSS SYRIA. Idleb (Ma’ar Shamreen): May 22, 2012 - This is the reason why Syrians have been pleading with the international community for a “No Fly Zone”. Their voices are left unheard though …

Thanks @SyriaArchives

THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY STRIKES BACK AT ASSAD’S FORCE IN RESPONSE TO THE MASSACRE OF KHAN SHAYKHOUN ON MAY 15. Idleb (Khan Shaykhoun): May 16, 2012 - The FSA has promised to defend Syrians against the forces of Bashar Al Assad and fight back when they attack.

Here we can see the FSA detonate two IED’s against a Assadist tanks. The first one appears to have not damages the T-72 tank whereas the second one takes out a BMP tank.

Thanks @HamaEcho

THE PITCH BLACK DARKNESS ONLY MAKES IT WORSE - ASSAD’S FORCES SHELL THE CITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. Homs (Al-Quseir): May 15, 2012 - There is no need for a visual, the sounds are terrifying enough. In the words of @HamaEcho “People sit in the dark and wait for their turn to die”

Thanks @HamaEcho

ASSAD’S FORCES SHELL A UNITED NATIONS CONVOY IN KHAN-SHAYKHOUN. AS THE CONVY FLEA’s THEY RUN OVER INJURED SYRIANS ON THE GROUND. Idleb (Khan Shaykoun): May 15, 2012 - 22 people (as I write this) have been confirmed as killed in this town as Assad’s forces shelled the town during a visit by the United Nations Observers.

As you can see in the video, people gather around the vehicles and then the first car in the convoy takes a hit from a shell fired by Assad’s forces. As the vehicles depart the last vehicle can be seen running over at least one injured (or dead) man as they make their getaway.

Some of the injured are taken to a make-shift hospital. (GRAPHIC)

Thanks @NuffSilence

THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY STRIKES BACK AT ASSAD’S FORCES. Idleb: May 12, 2012 - The FSA attack an Assadist mercenary convoy. 

The word has left the Syrian people to fend for themselves against an entire Russian backed army with support from Iran and Hezbollah. Thankfully the Free Syrian Army, however poorly armed and organized, are fighting back to defend Syrians from Assad’s genocide.

Thanks @Markito0171

A MOTHER GRIEVES THE LOSS OF HER SON JUST AS ANY MOTHER WOULD ON EARTH. Hama: May 12, 2012 - The mother of martyr Mohammed Aktal says her final farewell to her son that was shot and killed by Assad’s forces. She is one of thousands of mothers across Syria who have had the tragic fate of mourning the death of a child.

Thanks @SyriaArchives

The imagery, commissioned by Al Jazeera, provides snapshots of the Syrian city’s dire situation.

Government forces’ continued shelling of the Syrian city has left some neighbourhoods unrecognisable.

Satellite images taken this March reveal a deserted city centre, destroyed areas and heavy deployment of tanks across the city.

This stands in contrast to images shot in August, which showed a busy city of around one million.

The latest imagery provides a snapshot of what appears to be an increasingly dire situation, as Steve Chao reports.

Click the title to se more and then click on neighbourhoods in cities of Homs and Idlib for close-ups of army deployments and widespread destruction. 

THE FREE SYRIAN ARMY COME TO THE AID OF THE PEOPLE OF DAEL AND ATTACK AN ASSADIST TANK WITH A DIRECT ROCKET-HIT. Daraa (Dael): Apr 24, 2012 - The Russian made and supplied tank is destroyed by the FSA in order to prevent Assad’s forces from using the killing machine to murder more Syrians.

Thanks @Markito0171

ASSAD’S FORCES OPEN FIRE ON UNARMED AND PEACEFUL PROTESTERS AS THE UN OBERVERS ‘OBSERVE’ THE SCENE. Damascus (Arbeen) Apr 18, 2012 - What more is there to add? Assad orders his mercenaries and thugs to fire on protesters in-front of UN observers. Plan and simple.

Watch the UN either deny this or do nothing about it.

Thanks @arwamenla