Residents of the Syrian city of Saraqeb in rural Idlib province took to the streets on Thursday (July 13th) to protest the absence of basic services, like water and electricity, activists told Diyaruna.

The city, controlled by Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of extremist factions that includes the former al-Nusra Front (ANF), also suffers from rampant lawlessness, kidnappings and robberies.

Mohammad al-Khalid of the Saraqeb co-ordination committee, which is affiliated with the Local Co-ordination Committees of Syria, said that living conditions in the Idlib region, and particularly the city of Saraqeb and its rural areas, are dire.

"Residents are taking to the streets to express their anger over the deteriorating situation," he told Diyaruna.

On Thursday, they blocked the roads by burning tires to protest the unfair distribution of electricity and water among the different districts in the city, he said.

"Certain districts, inhabited by emirs and security officials of armed groups, enjoy an uninterrupted supply of electricity and water," al-Khalid said, while others barely get any services.

Tahrir al-Sham militants justify this under the pretext of "security requirements", he added.

Lack of governance

Local residents took part in the spontaneous demonstration in large numbers, prompting local council officials to intervene and pacify the residents with promises of resolving the issue, he said.

"However, civilians no longer put much stock in such promises, which have been preceded with similar promises in the past period," al-Khalid said.

Armed groups controlling the area lack seriousness in addressing the grievances and daily needs of residents, he said.

"When residents demanded that streets be paved and asphalted, the result was disastrous," he said, as the asphalt began to melt and some streets were soon dotted with potholes and bumps.

The lack of governance extends to security matters as well, he said, adding that the region is "rife with lawlessness".

Acts of robberies, kidnappings and murders prevail, he said, but law enforcement is lacking due to the fact that the majority of those who commit these crimes are members of armed groups controlling the region.

"After all the sacrifices, the region’s residents thought that they would be entitled to the minimum standards of living and security," al-Khalid said. "However, everything now rests in the hands of the armed groups."