After years of halted battles, the people of Aleppo and its Christians are once again bearing a heavy cross. In one of the most ancient cities in history and the oldest centers of Christian faith, the renewed war adds to their burdens already strained by economic hardship.
Last Wednesday, armed factions led by the so-called "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" launched the largest operation of its kind in nearly nine years against Syrian army forces in the western countryside of Aleppo. They managed to seize several villages and towns, cutting off the international road between Damascus and Aleppo. The university dormitory in Aleppo was also bombed, resulting in the deaths of four students and ten injuries.
In a cry expressing the pain of the residents, Brother George Saba wrote: "Good morning from the skies of Aleppo; my people are afraid. I pray for my city, I pray for my people, I pray for the children and the elderly, and I pray for the youth of my country. The sounds of war have returned to instill fear in our hearts." He asked, "Are we doomed to suffer fear and darkness? When will we sleep assured that tomorrow is a normal day, where our children go to school and our elders to work? When will we travel on a safe road? Isn't it our right to enjoy lasting peace? When will we live? Oh Lord, oh Lord, have mercy."
In an English post on his Facebook page, a young engineer from Aleppo (active in church service) shared the latest developments in the city with the Western world, praying that this war, coinciding with the harsh winter and lack of fuel (for transportation and heating) to meet the needs of the four million people in Aleppo, does not last long.
Christians' expressions on Facebook about their stance on what is happening do not stop. Despite many optimistic voices about the Syrian army's ability to regain lost territories and restore security, the sound of shells and bullets brought back painful memories that are not easily forgotten. In reference to these disturbing and loud sounds, a Christian pediatrician wrote, "Thank God, our hearing is good. But I wish someone would hear our fear... Oh Lord.
A dentist and scout leader from the Mar Youssef Chaldean group in Aleppo wrote: "To the echo of the sounds of cannons, memories awaken from their deep slumber one after another. The frightening events are replayed. To where? Until when? And why Aleppo?
It is worth noting that "Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham" is a jihadist armed faction, described as one of the versions of Al-Qaeda in Syria. It was formed in 2017 by the union of five factions, including "Jabhat Fatah al-Sham," formerly known as "Jabhat al-Nusra.