20 October 2016•Update: 20 October 2016
By Halit Suleyman
ALEPPO, Syria
An Anadolu Agency crew has taken aerial images of the Syrian town of Dabiq, recently cleared of Daesh terrorists and currently off-limits because of mines and booby traps.
Dabiq, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northeast of Aleppo and approximately 10 kilometers (six miles) south of Syria’s border with Turkey is of symbolic importance to Daesh which believes it will be the site of an end-times battle with non-Muslims.
The area is thought to be heavily mined. One Free Syrian Army (FSA) commander, Abu Esed, told Anadolu Agency on Thursday his forces wanted Turkey to train FSA fighters in defusing explosives and traps left in Dabiq.
The FSA is preventing civilians from returning to the area because of the dangers posed by devices left behind by retreating Daesh terrorists.
"Olive gardens, homes, roads, sidewalks, even graveyards, are filled with mines,” Esed said.
Esed called for help to restore homes and remedy the humanitarian situation in the region: "[Daesh leader Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi's gangs wanted to mislead the world over Dabiq village.
“They brought so many people from outside to kill Syrians. Now Dabiq is free. We are not done with Baghdadi gangs."
