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RT
live report: Syrian Army battles jihadists in ancient Christian
village
“We were shooting a package. It was already dark and suddenly militants started to fire. We had to hide between houses. The situation was getting worse and worse. As a result, Kirill’s forehead was slashed by a ricochet,” RT’s camera man said.
Inside the village fire was mainly targeting the mountaintop Safir Hotel, which the Al-Nusra Front militants seized last Wednesday. There were no militants inside, the army said, but some 200 jihadists are still hiding in the mountains that surround Maaloula.
“It’s still dangerous to be here, and this is why they [army] allow journalists here only before sunset,” Maria Finoshina reported. “According to the army there were local residents who were kept hostage in the basement of this hotel, but they are also free now,” she added.
Maaloula – a mountain village of 2,000 residents, 60km northeast of Damascus - is a major pilgrimage destination for Christians from around the world.
It’s home to some of the most ancient Orthodox Christian relics and is also one of the very few places in the world where people still speak Aramaic, a biblical-era language that Jesus is believed to have spoken.
Apart from being an ancient sanctuary on a UNESCO list of proposed World Heritage sites, Maaloula is also strategically important, situated on a highway between Damascus and Homs. The rebels have already established bases in the west and south of the capital. The village in the northeast would significantly increase rebel pressure on Damascus.
Sporadic
fighting continues after Syrian government troops have regained
control of the village of Maaloula, a center of Christianity in the
region. RT’s correspondent reports from the village, amid the
shooting and fighter jets overhead.
11
September, 2013
Despite
the battle, RT’s crew made to the central square of Maaloula, the
first time since they arrived in Syria on Saturday.
From there they headed towards Mar Takla (St.Thakla) - one of the two oldest surviving monasteries in Syria – on the edge of Maaloula.
On the way they were caught in crossfire during which the camera-man’s assistant received a mild injury.
From there they headed towards Mar Takla (St.Thakla) - one of the two oldest surviving monasteries in Syria – on the edge of Maaloula.
On the way they were caught in crossfire during which the camera-man’s assistant received a mild injury.
“We were shooting a package. It was already dark and suddenly militants started to fire. We had to hide between houses. The situation was getting worse and worse. As a result, Kirill’s forehead was slashed by a ricochet,” RT’s camera man said.
On Wednesday, Syrian government troops killed eight rebels and injured 20 others.
Inside the village fire was mainly targeting the mountaintop Safir Hotel, which the Al-Nusra Front militants seized last Wednesday. There were no militants inside, the army said, but some 200 jihadists are still hiding in the mountains that surround Maaloula.
“It’s still dangerous to be here, and this is why they [army] allow journalists here only before sunset,” Maria Finoshina reported. “According to the army there were local residents who were kept hostage in the basement of this hotel, but they are also free now,” she added.
The Al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters have carried out several attacks on Maaloula since last Wednesday.
On Saturday pro-Assad forces managed to regain control for a short period of time, however by in the early hours of Sunday morning militants had retaken the village.
That occasion also saw the RT crew come perilously close to the fighting.
On Saturday pro-Assad forces managed to regain control for a short period of time, however by in the early hours of Sunday morning militants had retaken the village.
That occasion also saw the RT crew come perilously close to the fighting.
Maaloula – a mountain village of 2,000 residents, 60km northeast of Damascus - is a major pilgrimage destination for Christians from around the world.
It’s home to some of the most ancient Orthodox Christian relics and is also one of the very few places in the world where people still speak Aramaic, a biblical-era language that Jesus is believed to have spoken.
Apart from being an ancient sanctuary on a UNESCO list of proposed World Heritage sites, Maaloula is also strategically important, situated on a highway between Damascus and Homs. The rebels have already established bases in the west and south of the capital. The village in the northeast would significantly increase rebel pressure on Damascus.
Fighting between Syrian government
forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels for the village of Maaloula,
northeast of Damascus, September 7. (Still from RT video)
Fighting between Syrian government
forces and Al-Nusra Front rebels for the village of Maaloula,
northeast of Damascus, September 7. (Still from RT video
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