Civilians take up arms, chase terrorists out of town in Hama

A remarkable scene occurred late on Saturday afternoon as residents in the town of Kafr Nabuda appeared fed up with Islamist rule and showcased a rare case of civil disobedience.

As Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Nasr assembled a significant number of fighters, technicals, and armored vehicles in the town’s main street, their forces were suddenly pelted by an angry mob which shortly after drove them out of town.

According to one report, Ahrar al-Sham and Jaish al-Nasr were mobilizing for an assault on Al-Mughair and Karnaz, two nearby government-held towns.

However, the population in Kafr Nabuda were unhappy with the idea of reigniting hostilities in the region after several months of relative calm, thus causing a spontaneous uprising.

The civilians not only threw stones at the Islamist fighters but also opened small arms fire on one of the convoys which in turn caused the militants to respond fire. Three insurgents were killed and some 20 more injured before the rebel forces withdrew from Kafr Nabuda.

Unfortunately, scores of civilians were injured in the skirmishes and crossfire as well. The residents also captured a mortar position with its ammunitions intact and even destroyed an Ahrar al-Sham pickup truck.