A Tour of Deir Hafir in Syria Reveals Chilling Life under Daesh

As people return to Deir Hafir after its liberation, the northern Syrian city is yielding the grim remnants of around four years of Daesh (ISIL) rule.

What rekindles the most painful memories of Takfiri terrorists for many citizens is a field used for executions or giving lashes.

Located in north of Syria, Deir Hafir lies on a road between the cities of Aleppo and Raqqah, Daesh’s self-proclaimed capital.

Many of Deir Hafir’s features have been painted black, to match the color of the Daesh banner.

A Syrian army commander guided a Tasnim reporter through underground tunnels dug by Daesh members for transferring weapons and forces. They also used the passages to ward off attacks by the Syrian military forces.

One of the sites preventing one from ignoring that Deir Hafir was straining under the iron grip of Daesh is a public square that the terrorists used to behead people or give men and women lashes for violating Takfiri laws.

In the vicinity lies a building used by Daesh as a court giving rulings against civilians or military prisoners.

Asked about a building with a sign that reads ‘Maktab-ul-Intisab’, the commander explained, “This office recruited civilians compulsorily. The significant point is that the office emphasized recruiting minors below 18 years of age. Unfortunately, they widely abused children, taking them to training campsites. The minors were then taught how to use arms and how to execute terrorist operations.”

When Syrian troops recaptured the city, he added, the liberated people were weary of the huge pressure from Daesh and complained about taxes and tributes which hampered their lives both in their commercial activities and their daily lives.