The Survivors tell unprecedented levels of atrocities committed by the extremist militants in the December 11 (Wednesday) attack that claimed the lives of dozens of civilians.

Adra, a town with a population of 20,000, was captured by extremist militants from the Al-Nusra Front and the Jaysh al-Islam, following fierce fighting with country’s army forces. The town’s seizure was accompanied by mass executions of civilians.

Al-Alam has managed to speak to some of the eyewitnesses of the atrocities.

One of the survivors said: “One of my friends called me and asked me to leave the city with my family, I asked him what happened? He responded that terrorists are in the city. I thought first that they are Syrian government forces because their faces were shaved. But, they shouted; ‘hey dogs we come’.”

He added that following the event he and his family fled the city because “dying with bullets is better than execution in the hands of terrorists.” 

Another survivor, Alaa, said that he also decided to flee the town with his family when he saw atrocities of the militants.

He added: “When I called to my friend to ask him to leave the town, another person responded to the cellphone by saying that ‘he was beheaded’.”

The war in Syria started in March 2011, when pro-reform protests turned into a massive insurgency following the intervention of Western and regional states.

The unrest, which took in terrorist groups from across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa, has transpired as one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history.

According to the United Nations, more than 120,000 people have been killed and millions displaced due to the turmoil that has gripped Syria for over two years.

BA/BA