Syria: Occupants of al-Yarmouk Camp Begin Returning to Their Homes

Occupants of al-Yarmouk Camp Begin Returning to Their Homes Dec 21, 2012

DAMASCUS, (SANA) – The occupants of al-Yarmouk Camp area in Damascus are gradually returning to their homes and neighborhoods which they left after armed terrorist groups entered it in the past few days in an attempt to drag the Palestinian people into the crisis in Syria and to displace them. The people of al-Yarmouk Camp didn't hesitate to return to their homes after a few days of displacement after the gangs of Jabhet al-Nusra and other terrorist groups attacked them, with some of the returning locals saying that they made up their minds to return despite the difficult and dangerous conditions. They said that popular pressure within the past two days caused the terrorist to fall back, withdrawing away from the angry families and retreating into the area's outskirts and nearby streets near al-Tadamon and al-Hajar al-Aswad where they continue to carry out acts of terrorism and sniping. One of the occupants of al-Yarmouk Camp said that he'd rather die than be displaced, while another wondered if they want them to live in tents in neighboring countries that would use them as a bargaining chip or if they plan to make them scattered and homeless, asking people to compare the conditions of the Palestinians in other countries – and particularly in the Arab Gulf – and how they're treated to what Syria offers to all Palestinians. The occupants of the area already began clearing out the debris and destruction left behind by the terrorists who vandalized a number of streets and houses, while some stores opened for business, particularly those in the center of the Camp. On a relevant note, Media Officer of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Command, Anwar Raja, refuted allegations by some channels that an agreement with the terrorists was reached on the ground, saying that these terrorists come from various groups, most of them affiliated with Al Qaeda and Jabhet al-Nusra and therefore cannot be trusted. Raja said that conditions are still unstable and that the watchful calm is often disturbed by the sound of gunfire from snipers, adding that the people of the Camp began returning because they sensed the danger of political scattering despite the ongoing attacks by terrorists. H. Sabbagh http://www.sana-syria.com/eng/337/2012/12/21/458473.htm