Thread by @VanessaBeeley

The hero who saved #Aleppo.

"This is the story of Bassel Karful one of the thousands of the brave martyrs who fought and died for #Syria. Bassel was from Tartous. Everyone who knew him said that he was a joyful always smiling young man whose love for his family has no equal

except his love for his homeland. His ardent patriotism was the key in making this rather humble guy a hero of legendary status. He destroyed three explosive laden trucks and stood his ground against a fourth that the terror groups have used to attack the army's post.

Those heroic acts earned him his spot amongst the greatest in heaven.

It was by mere coincidence that Bassel manned the " Metis "atgm platform instead of his comrade Ahmad Abbas who was on leave in Tartous due to his uncle's death.

Soldiers received orders to move and to ready themselves after the arrival of certain intelligence of an impeding attack by armed gangs from eastern Idleb aimed at storming Aleppo using four explosives laden BMPs.

While Bassel was busy alongside fellow soldier Khatib in preparing the atgm platform, his friend Ahmad Abbas called him to inform him that he arrived in Aleppo, was aware of the impeding battle and that he was coming to replace Bassel in manning the atgm platform.

Bassel answered the call albeit he was busy and told his friend to rest , have something to eat and then join his brothers in their position.

Ahmad answered that he ate and was in no need to rest informing Bassel that he will join him right away in the alzahraa residential area .

Soon all hell broke loose. The armed gangs attacked covered by intensive bombardment. Civilians were fleeing . Khattib was severely wounded and was martyred .Bassel was hit in the shoulder.

Abbas hussein replaced khattib. Bassel fired a missile on the first terrorist used BMP that was racing towards the residential neighborhood and blew it up.

Ahmad Abbas from distance was urging Bassel to retreat alongside the civilians.

" It's too late my brother, the armed men are nearby and their " cri de guerre" are deafening" was Bassel's answer to Ahmad' pleas to retreat.

Bassel managed to destroy two more explosives laden BMPs. The terrorists were coming close to where Bassel was. Abbas who was a soldier in the Syrian Center for Scientific Research and not an ATGM expert aided Bassel in destroying three of the four BMPs the armed gangs used.

The fourth detonated before Bassel and abbas were able to arm a missile. The wave of the massive explosion threw them both of the top of the building in different areas. Bassel fell on the tile roof of a ground floor . The fall was excruciatingly painful.

Soldiers were approaching , Bassel still motionless on the tile tent right next to the armed men.Abbas legs were crushed. A girl hiding in her house snuck out and tried to pull Abbas away but failed to do so because of his heavy weight,

so she wrapped his legs with ointments and tissues and went back to her house eventually feeling relieved after seeing Abbas' friends reaching him
Ahmad, soldier Yamen Sabbagh and first warrant officer abou ali Mahdi who is an old man reached Abbas

with abou ali staying near him while Yamen and Ahmad continued advancing towards Bassel covered by heavy fire from a soldier stationed a little further away , firing frantically trying to open a passageway for them to reach Bassel quickly.

Bassel stared at the blurry sky motionless, hearing his friends calling him. He didn't answer out of fear of exposing his whereabouts to the gunmen lurking nearby.

With the gunmen were retreating and the army advancing, Ahmad reached a building rooftop. Looking down he saw Bassel lying on his back on the brick tent. Seeing Ahmad , Bassel slightly moved his hand as a sign that he was still alive.

Ahmed hurried downstairs and tried to reach Bassel quickly but failed to do so because of the heavy presence of the gunmen near him.
All became clear for Bassel. The sky was as clear as tears falling from his mother's eyes

Suddenly all turned into a heavy silence with the sky covered in darkness. A gunman was standing above Bassel after noticing him. Bassel did not move trying to trick the gunman into believing he was dead.That did not work.

The terrorists were used to shoot even martyred soldiers disrespecting the sanctity of Death. He pointed his gun at Bassel's head who bravely kept his eyes open as did the valiant soldiers of al Kindi Hospital before him at the moment of their cold blooded execution.

A sound of a bullet tore the fearful silence. That bullet landed in Bassel's head followed by another one right in the middle of his heart. Those bullets ended the life of a man who has just saved Aleppo thanks to his belief, strength, patience, determination"

Finally soldiers reached Bassel, Ahmed ran towards him, put his hand on his face then neck. He didn't even dare to think only lifting him with the help of his comrades running towards an ambulance that drove them to an hospital. There a doctor told them that Bassel was martyred.

Martyr Bassel Karful from Tartous/ AlDrekich /
Bouwaydat AlZamam
Injured Abbas AlHussayn from Hama/Mysiaf
Ahmad Abbas from Tartous/Masaken El-isment
Yemen Sabbagh from ElQurdaha
Abou Ali Mahdi from ElFoua
Martyr Khattib from Noubol

Written by William Abdallah for the Syrian Arab Army Facebook page.