One Of The First Syrian Towns To Revolt Against Assad Now Faces ISIS

03:51

October 23, 2015

A Syrian boy holds books as he stands outside his school following airstrikes by Syrian government forces on December 22, 2013 in the northern Syrian city of Marea on the outskirts of Aleppo. (Mohammed Al-Khatieb/AFP/Getty Images)

The town of Marea plays an important role in Syrian history. It was one of the first towns to revolt against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s rule. It’s the hometown of the beloved Abdel Kader Saleh, one of the founders of the Free Syrian Army in the north.

But now, Marea is fighting a new enemy - ISIS surrounds the town on three sides. NPR’s Alison Meuse tells us about life after the Syrian revolution for this town in northern Syria.

Reporter

Alison Meuse, correspondent for NPR based in Beirut, Lebanon. She tweets @AliTahmizian.

This segment aired on October 23, 2015.