Kasab, the once first-ever destination for tourists in Syrian coast has turned into a deserted area since most of residents fled to Turkey after regime capture in 2014.
The Turkish town of Yayladagi is the closest town to Kasab, almost hundreds of meters separate them, and most of Syrians who were forced o leave their homes in the Turkmen and al-Akrad mountain live in it, they look at Kasab with hope to be the first town to reach after reaching to an end to that devastating war in Syria.
Many people managed to enter their town and live in their houses ater paying the regime’s militias huge amount of money, but still, the regime is trying to force them to leave their houses and town by neglecting its services like electricity and water.
Abo Hanifa, a Syrian man live in the town of Yayladagi, bought a telescope to have a closer look at his hometown of Kasab, told Zaman al-Wasl that he had watched the town for two days, he found little movement in street, markets almost empty, most vehicles were military and regime’s militias had seized most houses and properties, either by force or threatening people to sell them.
Abo Hanifa detailed that for 2 days, there was no electricity in Kasab, and people used to spend days in dark.
At the crossing point of Kasab, which has been closed for long time, a Turkish customs guard who can speaks fluent Arabic told Zaman al-Wasl that almost less than a quarter of Kasab’s residents stayed in it, and most of its residents in recent days were soldiers and military elements, and not its native residents.
On the Syrian side of the crossing point, a Syrian soldier refused to talk to any one of Zaman al-Wasl team, although he does not know their jobs, as fear was clear on his face.
A fighter of the Free Syrian Army participated in the battles led to capturing the Kasab in 2014, swore that they would sacrify whatever it needs to recapture the town again and return it to its own people.
In April 2014, the Syrian opposition captured the town of Kasab after severe battle with the Syrian regime, and controlled for 5 month, but the Syrian regime regain control over it after that.
The Syrian conflict began March 2011, when the Syrian regime responded in military action to peaceful protests demanding democracy and dignity. Since then and according to independent monitors, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed in the war most of them by the regime and its allies, and millions have been displaced both inside and outside of Syria
