Student Ammar Obaid located and registers names of victims and belonging graves on the Free Martyr Cemetery in wetsern Deir az-Zor which was a playground before the war. Residents of eastern syrian town Deir az-Zor joined arab spring protests against the regime of Bashar al-Assad from its early beginning in March 2011. Since summer 2012 the town with few hundred thousand inhabitants is embattled between the Syrian Army and different opposing rebel groups like Free Syrian Army and Jabhat al-Nusra. Deir az-Zor is target to constant shelling by artillery, war planes and short range missiles. Almost 70 percent of the town is rebel held while government forces remain in control over some residental areas and a strategic important airport. Deir az-Zor is widely damaged and some areas almost totally destroyed by fierce and long lasting battles. All direct road connections to Deir az-Zor are cut and fighters and returning residents as well depend on one provisional supply line across the Euphrates river which is regularly targeted by government snipers.
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