ALEPPO, Syria — The Free Syrian Army (FSA) and Turkish Armed Forces took hold on Feb. 23, 2017, of the city of al-Bab, located in Aleppo's northeastern countryside, during Operation Euphrates Shield. Since then, al-Bab has become a refuge for displaced Syrians from various parts of the country. The city is now home to people from different cultures and traditions, and its diversity has been manifested in a variety of economic, social, cultural and entertainment activities.
In addition to its original residents, thousands of families from various cities — including those who fled Aleppo’s eastern neighborhoods in late 2016 — presently reside in al-Bab. The displaced from parts of the country that witnessed heavy fighting and raids during offensives by the Russia-backed regime forces and by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), backed by the US-led coalition against the Islamic State (IS), also took refuge in the city. These include people from Deir ez-Zor, Abu Kamal, Mayadin, Raqqa, Palmyra, Maskanah, and other towns and villages on the banks of the Euphrates, in northern and northeastern Syria. Al-Bab is also home to hundreds of families displaced from the al-Waer neighborhood in Homs and the outskirts of Damascus.