Aleppo, Syria has become infamous as an epicenter of destruction in the Middle East. Refugees by the thousands have fled the city in search of shelter from civil war, terrorism, and the hail of bombs and bullets on all sides.In their absence, a ghost town has emerged.The footage of a person walking through the utterly decimated city with a 360-degree camera is eerie and unsettling. There are very few sounds, other than some solitary footsteps and distant explosions. We pass one solitary stranger, then another, digging for scraps in the rubble. Many civilians have unsuccessfully tried to leave the city, but are trapped by the conflicts. Many have not seen or heard from their relatives in months.
On Tuesday, the district of Shahaar was recaptured from the hands of rebel forces by the Syrian military and their allies. It is part of the old city, close to the historic citadel that is one of the oldest existing castles on earth, dating back to the 3rd millennium BC.It's hard to believe that this Aleppo, this wasteland, was once the end of the Silk Road, the home to nearly 2 million people, Syria's commercial powerhouse. The fiercest fighting is likely ahead for both sides.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tay7cJcTYE0