The Syrian army used tanks and mortars to attack the neighbourhood and snipers were deployed to control movement on the main streets.
Now, no one can access it as half of it is occupied by the FSA and the the other half by the Syrian army and snipers are on top of the buildings.
Until he started work in February, the military pattern in Syria had been consistent for several months – occasional forays by rebels into urban areas followed by excessive reaction by government troops, with artillery, snipers, and mass arrests.
Meanwhile, Russian media have claimed that snipers were employed by the opposition or western intelligence agencies to provoke Yanukovych's overthrow.
After the cruel events of this week when Viktor Yanukovych and his gang killed more than 75 people, even using snipers to do so, we have reached the point of no return.
Even Cook, who with his record should have the confidence to speak and be damned, has had the look of a man being held hostage against his will and forced by hidden snipers to sit in front of a board covered in adverts and talk about hitting good areas and executing skill-sets and this not being the moment to discuss matters currently under wide-ranging review.
Beyond that, a ridge of feathery trees from where Isis snipers had been taking potshots at Kurdish positions.
Third, the snipers that caused such carnage in Kiev six weeks ago were an exception; Ukrainians have shown little appetite for firing on fellow Ukrainians.
Anger boiled over last week after snipers attacked protesters in the bloodiest violence in Ukraine's post-Soviet history.
The tensions came to a head on April 11th 2002, when hundreds of thousands marched on the presidential palace to demand Mr Chávez's resignation: 19 people died, many killed by snipers who were never identified.
Not only does Jokowi, now president-elect, keep better company these days; he is also trailed by a security detail numbering dozens, including snipers.
