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The Syrian army’s collapse as told by the soldiers who fled

The constant gunfire and explosions were deafening. 

Amr, a 27-year-old conscript in the Syrian army, was stationed on the front line just north of Hama.

As he took cover, Amr quaked. The rebel offensive had taken everyone by surprise, and he was no warrior.

“My commanding officer told me to start shooting,” he recalled. “He said if you don’t start shooting the enemy, you will be considered a traitor and punished.”

So Amr began shooting - not at anyone or anything, just sporadic gunfire into nothingness to avoid punishment.

“We kept being told: ‘Don’t retreat, backup is on on the way,’” Amr said. “But everyone knew that was a lie. There was no backup.”

You can read Omar al-Aswad and Daniel Hilton's full report from Damascus below. 

Read more: The Syrian army’s collapse as told by the soldiers who fled

An abandoned helmet at the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus
An abandoned helmet at the Mezzeh military airport in Damascus on 16 December 2024 (Fadel Itani/NurPhoto/Reuters)