Syrians return to the homes they fled, only to find them levelled

Qaboun neighbourhood in Damascus was almost completely destroyed by al-Assad forces in revenge for perceived opposition.

Damascus, Syria – Nizar al-Madani, 34, stood with tears in his eyes as he looked around Qaboun.

After seven years of displacement, he returned on Tuesday to his neighbourhood in Syria’s capital, Damascus, only to find it levelled.

“We’d heard that the regime demolished the neighbourhood, but seeing it with my own eyes was utterly shocking,” he said.

When al-Madani and his family were displaced from Qaboun in 2017, many of the neighbourhood’s buildings were damaged.

“But today, there is no trace of these buildings… The regime has obliterated the neighbourhood’s features.”