via Avaaz

Army and security forces claimed full control over the besieged opposition stronghold of Haffa and its surrounding  villages to the south, after 9 days of constant shelling. Activist Abu al Waleed, located in the Mount of Kurds, 2kms away from Haffa, told Avaaz: “The city of Haffa has been destroyed. It now resembles Baba Amr in Homs due to the shelling damage.” Regime forces swept south today, taking the town of Mcheirfeh after violent skirmishes against local rebel forces. At least 3 FSA fighters were killed and 14 others were injured.

The fighting in Haffa has driven most of its residents out, with thousands fleeing mostly north and into Turkey.
Few families remain, activists told Avaaz. Activist Ahmad from the Mount of Kurds said: “All the regions that the FSA stormed into have become depopulated, as around 1,200 civilians fled towards Turkey just today, while 200 civilians including women and children arrived in the Mount of Kurds, which has now become very overcrowded, with huge shortages of food and medical supplies, with electricity and water supplies regularly cut-off.”