He chose to shorten the long road from the east of Hama to the desert and go through the city of Khanaser in Aleppo countryside, instead. His choice stemmed both from practical concerns that had to do with his frailty and severe illness, and his implicit yearning for some freedom. The long road is no longer safe and it takes hours, draining the man without even guaranteeing that it would eventually lead him to his destination. The deep holes in the road are caused by the landmines erected by the armed groups overnight. The road is also divided by 35 official military checkpoints in addition to other checkpoints set up by groups that are still called shabbiha (paramilitary thugs).
English
Fleeing through Syria
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