A rare visit to Syria rebel city

NBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin reports from war-torn Homs showing how parts of the city have been ravaged by fighting while others have been spared.

HOMS, Syria — Fighting has ravaged Syria over the past 14 months, as evidenced in parts of the Homs neighborhood of Baba Amr. Nearly destroyed, hollow buildings stand on the side of roads seldom traveled by either cars or people. Once a stronghold of the opposition, the city now sits firmly under the control of the Syrian military.

Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

A child rides his bike across the bombed-out main street of Baba Amr. Once the stronghold of the opposition, it’s now firmly in the hands of the military and the neighborhood is nearly empty as residents have fled to nearby areas. You can still see the damaged buildings and the mosque along the main street.

A fragile truce brokered by international mediator Kofi Annan has failed to stop the violence, which has killed more than 9,000, according to U.N. figures. It has also caused a refugee crisis in the region.

Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

One of Syria’s Olympic athletes, Raya, trains at a shooting range ahead of the upcoming Summer Games in London. Some have called on the IOC to ban Syrian athletes from participating in the Games, while others have defended the right of athletes to not be punished for their government’s actions.

Just a few hundred yards away from Baba Amr, the neighborhood of Akrema is bustling with activity, as people wander through busy streets and markets. But concern is at an all-time high here, as many people fear a regime change would be dangerous for them.

A roadside bomb exploded in Douma, Syria this weekend near a United Nations convoy carrying the head of a Syria ceasefire monitoring mission and a senior U.N. Official. NBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin reports.

Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

A U.N. vehicle attempting to enter the opposition-held area of Tel Kelakh was swarmed by government supporters who marked the vehicles with pro-Assad slogans. The U.N. observer mission turned back and did not enter the city.

A resident of Khalidiya shows the wounds he suffered after he was attacked by pro-government thugs, known locally as the as the “Shabeeha” — which means “Ghosts”.

See more images from inside Syria, taken by NBC’s Ayman Mohyeldin (Editor’s note: Some of these images are graphic in nature):

Related: Slideshow: A glimpse inside Syria (by Ayman Mohyeldin)

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