The city of al-Lataminah has been at the forefront of events since the start of the Syrian revolution. The regime forces destroyed al-Lataminah city located on the right bank of the Assi River by bombarding it with various types of weapons. Most of the city’s inhabitants were displaced in retaliation for their early involvement in the peaceful movement.
Al-Lataminah was one of the first cities to revolt against the regime, and the regime responded with anger and hatred. The regime committed two successive massacres in the city in 2012, and regime forces have been bombing al-Lataminah since then with all kinds weapons. According to Alaa Mahmoud, a local resident and activist, the city’s local council announced it a disaster city after the regime’s ferocious and continuous attacks destroyed most of the city’s infrastructure.
Speaking to Zaman al-Wasl, Mahmoud explained that the regime destroyed around 85% of al-Lataminah, and 100% of the service centers including schools, hospitals, and infrastructure. He added that 668 people were martyred since the start of the revolution, there around 2000 injured who need medical centers and physiotherapy, and there are over 100 cases of amputees who also need medical services.
Mahmoud explained that al-Lataminah’s only functional hospital was built in a cave in 2014 and contained two operating rooms and was equipped with all the hospital units. The hospital has been directly targeted by the regime and Russian airplanes over ten times. The most recent attack on the hospital was by regime helicopters around March 2017. Part of the hospital was destroyed, and it went out of service due to the lack of funding. He added that the Qatari Red Crescent medical center also went out of service due to the regime and Russian bombardment in November 2016.
Prior to the start of the revolution, al-Lataminah’s residents depended on agriculture for their livelihoods, but the regime's forces burnt their land. The regime forces also prevented al-Lataminah’s people from using the land by bombing it regularly using various types of weapons, including internationally prohibited weapons.
Mahmoud pointed out that the regime bombardment did not stop even after the ceasefire announcement was made as part of the alleged “de-escalating tension” agreement.
The regime continued to bomb the city where around 3,000 people still live without basic amenities. The city residents are living without water, electricity, or bakeries. The situation led the newly formed local council to announce al-Lataminah a disaster city and demand that all bodies, councils, institutions and organizations move immediately and quickly to support the remaining residents and equip the infrastructure such as schools and health centers to restore life to the city.
According to Mahmoud, part of al-Lataminah’s residents who had migrated to areas in southern Idlib and camps in the province will return to the city in the coming days. He said that they have experienced very difficult humanitarian conditions over the course of the past four years.
Al-Lataminah’s residents participated in the peaceful movement at the beginning of the Syrian revolution. They came out chanting for freedom and the end of the regime. The regime responded with two successive massacres on April 07 and 09, 2012 when more than 70 people were killed, most of whom were women and children.
Research shows that al-Lataminah’s name most likely came from two separate words: cover and security. It is believed that long ago people used to use the caves located on the banks of the valley to hide from wild animals and raids, so the place was called “cover and security”. The two words were later merged for al-Lataminah to take precedence. Ironically, it is the very caves which gave the city its name which have once more become hiding places and shelters for al-Lataminah’s people to flee the regime’s violence and persecution.
