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Fading Assad Legacy Casts Shadow Over Syrian Village

1/9/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In Khirbet al-Mezzeh, a village near Tartus, Syria, over-ripe lemons hang heavy on the trees, a stark contrast to the tension in the air. Once a stronghold of the Alawite community, the village is now shadowed by armed checkpoints, with fears of violence and arrest looming large as the images of the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad fade from view.

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Story summary

In Khirbet al-Mezzeh, a village near Tartus, Syria, over-ripe lemons hang heavy on the trees, a stark contrast to the tension in the air. Once a stronghold of the Alawite community, the village is now shadowed by armed checkpoints, with fears of violence and arrest looming large as the images of the ousted dictator Bashar al-Assad fade from view.