Abdulkafi, an English teacher from Aleppo, met his father for the first time in years on Monday, days after rebels launched a major offensive and took control of the northern Syrian city from government forces.
“That person is 85 years old. “He never dreamed that he would see me again before he died,” said Abdulkafi, who lives in the opposite area. Until the offensive, he had not been able to pass through regime-held Aleppo.
Footage of the encounter released by the BBC shows the two men embracing and sobbing emotionally.
Abdulkafi was one of several people interviewed by the BBC since Aleppo was taken over by an alliance of armed rebels Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad.
They described being treated with respect by HTS warriors and having increased electricity and water supplies. But they also spoke of fears of war returning to Aleppo and disbelief that the moderate wing of the former al-Qaeda-linked group would persist.
According to the United Nations, tens of thousands of people have become refugees due to the recent civil war.
Many interviewees requested anonymity for their own safety. Some details of individual accounts could not be verified due to difficulties in independent reporting from Syria.
Local residents interviewed by the BBC said many in Aleppo feared new fighting. Dozens of people have already been killed in airstrikes by coalition forces between the Syrian government and Russia, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based monitoring group.
One man told the BBC that his biggest worry was the bombardment that could hit the city at any time. He said his family was prevented from even going to the corner store.
“We live in complete anxiety,” he said. He added that the airstrikes hitting the city in the past few days were reminiscent of the early days of the war.
Aleppo, which was largely occupied by rebels at the beginning of the Syrian civil war, was recaptured by Russian-backed Syrian government forces in 2016 after a fierce siege.
Since then, the city has largely avoided direct combat. The Syrian government claims credit for the ongoing rebuilding of the city, which was Syria’s commercial center until the war.
However, NGOs and independent journalists have accused the government of widespread human rights abuses, including torture and killings of civilians and non-existent democratic rights.
It was a joyous reunion between Abdulkafi and his father. But Abdulkafi said some of his relatives were afraid to stay with him for fear of reprisals when regime forces would retake the city.
“1984 was applied to Aleppo. Images of Assad are on every building, every street, every corner. “He is controlling their minds.” He mentioned George Orwell’s novel about totalitarianism.
HTS was founded in 2011 as a direct affiliate of al-Qaeda under a different name, Jabhat al-Nusra. It is claimed that they later separated from the group and adjusted their ideology.
But others in Aleppo remain fearful. One woman said people were “confused and scared” after rebels took control. She said she did not leave the house at first, but later went for walks and drives with her family after hearing that the rebels were not harassing civilians.
“It was relatively quiet everywhere. But everyone looked scared and anxious, and I could feel it in their faces and reactions. No one looked comfortable.
“People are scared. Because we don’t trust anyone, and we can’t trust their reaction to what’s happening.
“We feel disappointed for everyone. We don’t know what will happen to us.”
A man named Mohammad told the BBC on Sunday that he saw armed men on the street while he was out buying food. He said many other people were stocking up on supplies.
“When I got out, the militia asked me if I wanted to leave the city, and they said, ‘Don’t worry,’” he said.
“One of the militiamen asked why my sister who was with me didn’t cover her head. But they didn’t tell her to cover her head, they just asked why.”
“We are grateful that these armed groups have taken over. They are better than the government.
“There are many fears that there will be a food shortage in the city, but what we fear most is bombing by Russia and the Syrian government.”
