Residents of Cherkessian settlements on the Golan Heights in Syria left their settlements

Residents of Cherkessian settlement of Bir-al-Azham in Syria left their besieged settlement and started for the nearest Arab village. Earlier, yet before the beginning of the siege, local residents left the Cherkessian settlement of Berek.

At night of November, 10, residents of Bir-al-Azham gathered in one of the bunkers and left the zone of firing that lasted several days and took the lives of several people, Aheku.org reports.

An operation of UNO and the Red Cross carried out earlier and aimed at salvation of peaceful residents of Bir-al-Azham failed because the evacuation column got under fire.

Bir-al-Azham and Berek located on the Golan Heights of Syria which according to UN Resolution No 350, are a demilitarized zone in spite of this underwent heavy firing. Evacuation of people was prohibited by the Syrian Army because of a combat operation on extermination of gunmen.

Residents of the nearest settlement of Berek tried to help their neighbours in Bir-al-Azham on their own. Two young people who wanted to take the residents out of the besieged settlement perished. There is also an information of several killed, wounded and kidnapped villagers as of today.

The civil war going on in Syria for already twelve months has taken the lives of many peaceful residents, the Cherkessian population among them, Chelar Kat, relative of a killed Cherkessian, says. “Every day news of wounded, killed and kidnapped people come. The war has already affected Cherkessian settlements and unfortunately their residents cannot remain neutral no matter how hard they try to”, “Georgia Times” quotes him.