Damascus violence forces even most resolute Syrians to flee

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Damascus violence forces even most resolute Syrians to flee
Wed, Apr 03 07:48 AM EDT
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DAMASCUS (Reuters) - A new exodus is flowing from Syria as fighting edges closer to the heart of Damascus - those who swore they would never flee are selling their belongings to escape a battle now raging on their doorsteps.

Many Syrians in the capital had long asserted that the uprising-turned-civil war would not breach the city center. Others insisted they would stay, no matter the consequences.

But fear has begun to grip even the most resolute residents.

For many the tipping point was a hail of mortar bombs and rockets that shook Damascus for several days last month as rebels and troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad brought tit-for-tat bombardments to the core of the capital.

March was the most violent month in Syria's two-year-old civil war, with an estimated 6,000 people killed after increased fighting around Damascus and the southern province of Deraa.

In response, families once determined to remain in the city are packing up and leaving. Others are scrambling to pull together limited resources and, with a heavy heart, are planning an indefinite absence from the only home they have known.

"My wife barely likes to go away on holiday. And now, who would have thought we'd be packing to leave?" said Ibrahim, who owns a textile business that his family had run for generations in this ancient city. "God only knows when we'll be back."