ALEPPO, Syria 

In Syria's Aleppo, neighborhoods bombarded in the early years of the civil war under the now-toppled Baath regime are struggling to recover from the devastation.

Anadolu captured the widespread destruction in these places ravaged by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad during the initial years of the conflict, which erupted in March 2011.

Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, was one of the most heavily bombarded areas, as anti-regime protests swept across the nation.

Assad’s forces regained control of the city in 2016 through a campaign of intense aerial and ground assaults that left entire neighborhoods and infrastructure in ruins.

Areas like Hariten, Meir, Liramun, Kermeterrab, and Haydariye bore the brunt of the destruction and now resemble ghost towns.

Drone footage shows that over half of the homes in these areas are damaged, with most either uninhabitable or requiring complete reconstruction.

Schools and mosques have also been rendered unusable.

“Some of our neighbors are returning,” said Muhammad Qasim, a Haydariye resident, adding that: “Those with minor damage repair their homes and move back, but others whose houses are destroyed leave again.”

Ahmed Hasan of Kermeterrab also shared that he lost his wife in the bombing and now lives in a damaged home, being rebuilt alongside neighbors.

Challenges remain significant, with Qasim emphasizing: “We still face major problems, from infrastructure to the economy. God willing, Syria will one day regain its unity and freedom under one flag.”

The revelations come as Syria's 61-year Baath regime's drug production centers continue to be exposed following its overthrow in December last year.

Assad, Syria’s leader for nearly 25 years, fled to Russia after anti-regime groups took control of Damascus on Dec. 8, ending the Baath Party’s regime, which had been in power since 1963.

*Writing by Merve Berker