WADI AL-NASARA, Syria — The Christian residents of Wadi al-Nasara have felt reassurance and calm as the Syrian regime has been able to maintain control over the area and its surroundings throughout much of the conflict. But that ease has been rattled by the Islamic State’s (IS) advances in the east of Syria, and the violations it committed against Christians in Mosul.
The Wadi al-Nasara region is in the countryside of western Homs. It's made up of a group of villages located below the surrounding ones. Most inhabitants are Christians and the largest village is Marmarita. Although Wadi al-Nasara administratively belongs to Homs province, it is geographically and demographically closer to the mountains of the Syrian coast, as they merge with the town of Tartus from the west. Moreover, Wadi al-Nasara and its surroundings have particular importance in the context of the conflict raging in Syria because it enjoys pronounced sectarian diversity, with Alawite, Sunni and Christian villages spread throughout the area. Moreover, the region has significant strategic value as it overlooks the southeastern entrance of the Syrian coast, which is considered the stronghold of the Syrian regime.
To the south of Wadi al-Nasara is the mostly Sunni town of Krak des Chevaliers — named after the Crusader era castle that, before the war, was one of the most well-preserved medieval castles in the world — and the towns of al-Zara and Telkalakh, which staged massive protests against the Syrian regime and faced violent crackdowns. The towns fell under rebel control, but in March Syrian forces took control of most of the region and entered Krak des Chevaliers.
When brigades with Islamist tendencies in mid-2012 took over al-Zara and Krak des Chevaliers, which are close to the villages of Wadi al-Nasara, fear and concern gripped residents of the area, with local youth joining the fighting alongside government forces as part of the National Defense Forces. The inhabitants of Wadi al-Nasara regained their tranquility after the rebel brigades were defeated and expelled from the towns, which remain deserted today.
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