A Syrian goalkeeper turned rebel fighter who starred in an award-winning documentary died on Saturday of wounds sustained fighting government forces in northwestern Syria, his faction and a war monitor said.

 

Abdel-Basset al-Sarout, 27, was a goalkeeper from the central city of Homs, who became its most popular singer of protest songs after the Syrian uprising broke out in March 2011.

 

Following a government crackdown on peaceful protests, he took up arms against the forces of President Bashar al-Assad's government.

 

Al-Sarout starred in the documentary Return to Homs by Syrian director Talal Derki, which tracked his evolution from protest leader to fighter, and won a top prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014.

Jameel al-Saleh, the commander of the rebel faction Jaish al-Izza, announced al-Sarout's death in a message on Twitter, describing him as a "martyr" who died "fighting for the sake of God".

 

The message was accompanied by a video showing al-Sarout singing "We will be back, Homs".

 

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said al-Sarout was wounded in clashes in the northern Hama countryside in the night of Thursday to Friday while fighting in the ranks of Jaish al-Izza. 

 

"He died of his wounds on Saturday," the head of the Britain-based observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said.

 

Al-Sarout was evacuated from Homs in 2014 under a surrender deal with the government to end a two-year siege of its historical centre, according to the observatory. 

 

His father and four of his siblings were killed during bombardment and clashes in Homs, it said. </s> A Syrian footballer who became a symbolic figure in the rebellion against the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has died of wounds suffered in a battle with government forces.

Abdelbaset al-Sarout, 27, who rose to fame as a goalkeeper for his home city of Homs, joined peaceful protests against Assad in 2011 and was known as the “singer of the revolution”. He later took up arms as the country slid into civil war. Four of his brothers and his father have also been killed in the fighting.

Sarout’s life and his role in Syria’s uprising and conflict was the subject of Return to Homs, a documentary film that won an award at the 2014 Sundance film festival.

Cpt Mustafa Maarati, a spokesman for the Jaysh al-Izza rebel group, said Sarout died of wounds sustained two days ago while fighting in northern Hama province.

Fighting has been escalating in north-western Syria, the last major rebel stronghold, since April. </s> A goalkeeper who became an icon of the rebellion against Syrian president Bashar Assad has died of wounds suffered in a battle with government forces, a rebel spokesman said.

A goalkeeper who became an icon of the rebellion against Syrian president Bashar Assad has died of wounds suffered in a battle with government forces, a rebel spokesman said.

Abdelbaset Sarout, 27, who rose to fame as a player for his home city of Homs, joined peaceful protests against Assad in 2011 and was known as the "singer of the revolution".

He later took up arms as the country slid into civil war. Four of his brothers and his father were killed in the war.

Sarout’s life and his role in Syria’s uprising and conflict was the subject of Return to Homs, a documentary film that won an award at the 2014 Sundance film festival.

Captain Mustafa Maarati, spokesman for the Jaysh al-Izza rebel group, said Saturday that Sarout died from wounds sustained two days earlier while fighting in the northern Hama province.

Fighting has escalated in northwestern Syria, the last major rebel stronghold, since April. </s> Abdul Basset Al Sarout, 27, was a goalkeeper from the central city of Homs, who became its most popular singer of protest songs after the Syrian uprising broke out in March 2011.

Al Sarout starred in the documentary “Return to Homs” by Syrian director Talal Derki, which tracked his evolution from protest leader to fighter, and won a top prize at the Sundance film festival in 2014.

Jameel Al Saleh, the commander of the rebel faction Jaish Al Izza, announced Al Sarout’s death in a message on Twitter, describing him as a “martyr” who died “fighting for the sake of God”.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Al Sarout was wounded in clashes in the northern Hama countryside in the night of Thursday to Friday while fighting in the ranks of Jaish Al Izza.

Al Sarout was evacuated from Homs in 2014 under a surrender deal with the regime to end a two-year siege of its historical centre, according to the Observatory.

His father and four of his siblings were killed during bombardment and clashes in Homs, it said.

“The goalkeeper of freedom, the icon of Homs, the bard of the squares, the unforgettable sound of the Syrian revolution has been martyred,” researcher and opposition supporter Ahmad Abazeed said.

Al Sarout was wounded in the push to take the village of Tal Maleh from regime forces, the Observatory said.

The village lies on the southwestern edge of the Idlib region, which is dominated by an alliance led by Syria’s former Al Qaida affiliate Hayat Tahrir Al Sham (HTS).

Almost half of the region’s three million residents have been displaced from other parts of the war-torn country, including after deals to return government control to those areas.

Late Thursday, HTS and rebel allies launched a counterattack against government forces in the north of Hama province, after weeks of deadly regime bombardment on the Idlib region.

The Idlib region is supposed to be protected by a months-old buffer zone deal, but the regime and its Russian ally have ramped up air strikes and rocket fire on the area since late April.

More than 300 civilians have been killed in that bombardment, according to the Observatory, and the United Nations says the violence has forced 270,000 people to flee their homes. </s> BINNISH, Syria: A Syrian goalkeeper turned rebel fighter who starred in an award-winning documentary died on Saturday (Jun 8) of wounds sustained fighting regime forces in northwestern Syria, his faction said.

Abdel-Basset al-Sarout, 27, was among dozens of fighters killed since Thursday in clashes on the edges of the Idlib region.

The region, dominated by an alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, is supposed to be protected by a months-old buffer zone deal.

But it has come under deadly regime bombardment in recent weeks, sparking fears for its roughly three million residents.

Before Syria's eight-year civil war, Sarout, from the central city of Homs, was a goalkeeper for the country's youth football team.

When peaceful demonstrations broke out against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2011, he joined in and soon became a popular singer of protest songs.

Following a brutal government crackdown on the protests, he took up arms.

Sarout starred in the documentary "Return to Homs" by Syrian director Talal Derki, which tracked his evolution from protest leader to fighter, and won a top prize at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014.

Jameel al-Saleh, commander of the rebel faction Jaish al-Izza, announced Sarout's death in a message on Twitter, describing him as a "martyr".

Another of the group's commanders, Mahmoud al-Mahmoud, also confirmed the fighter's death.

"He was a well-mannered young man and one of the fiercest fighters I have known," he told AFP.

He said the fighter had been wounded two days previously in the battle for Tal Maleh, a village in the north of Hama province.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sarout was wounded in overnight battles Thursday to Friday while fighting in the ranks of Jaish al-Izza.

"He died of his wounds on Saturday," said the head of the Britain-based monitor, Rami Abdel Rahman.

Sarout was evacuated from Homs in 2014 under a surrender deal with the regime to end a two-year siege of its historical centre, according to the Observatory.

His father and four of his brothers were killed during bombing and clashes in Homs, it said.

On Saturday, Syrian activists and opposition figures took to Twitter to mourn him.

"The goalkeeper of freedom, the icon of Homs, the bard of the squares, the unforgettable sound of the Syrian revolution has been martyred," wrote researcher and opposition supporter Ahmad Abazeed.

Hadi al-Bahra, a member of the opposition Syrian Negotiations Commission, posted: "He died hoping to realise the dreams of Syrians."

Since 2011, the conflict has killed 370,000 people and displaced millions.

Today, Assad's forces are in control of almost 60 percent of Syria, after a series of Russian-backed victories against rebels and militants.

A large northeastern swathe of the country remains in Kurdish hands, while the Idlib region is dominated by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance.

Syria analyst Shiraz Maher described Sarout as "a totemic figure within the revolution".

"His trajectory reflects the many twists and turns of this constantly mutating conflict," said the director of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation in London.

"The symbolism of his loss is huge. It's another loss for the stalled and stunted revolutionaries of 2011," he told AFP.

Almost half of the Idlib region's residents have been displaced from other parts of the war-torn country, including under deals to hand back those areas to government control.

The region, also spanning slivers of neighbouring Latakia, Aleppo and Hama provinces, is nominally protected by a September buffer zone deal signed by Russia and rebel backer Turkey.

But the regime and their allies have upped their deadly bombardment of the region since late April, killing more than 330 civilians, according to the Observatory.

The violence has also forced more than 270,000 people to flee their homes and hit 24 health facilities, the United Nations says.

Late Thursday, HTS and rebel allies launched a counterattack against government forces in the area of Tal Maleh to the southwest of the Idlib region.

Almost 170 fighters from both sides have been killed since.

Analysts predict the regime will continue to chip away at the Idlib region, but say it is unlikely to unleash a major assault. </s> DANA, SYRIA (AFP) - Hundreds of mourners attended the burial of a Syrian goalkeeper turned opposition fighter on Sunday (June 9) after he died of wounds sustained in battle against regime forces.

Abdel-Basset al-Sarout, 27, died on Saturday after he was wounded on Thursday night in clashes on the edge of the embattled Idlib region in north-west Syria.

Before Syria's grinding eight-year civil war, Sarout was a goalkeeper for the country's youth football team.

When peaceful demonstrations broke out against President Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2011, he became a popular singer of protest songs in his hometown of Homs in the centre of the country.

But after a brutal government crackdown on the protests, he took up arms, eventually joining the Jaish al-Izza rebel group, with whom he was fighting when he was wounded.

On Sunday, hundreds of supporters joined a procession of vehicles driving Sarout's body wrapped in a bright white shroud to the mosque in the northwestern village of Dana, an AFP reporter said.

Among them were fighters who brandished their weapons and fired shots into the air.

As his body was transported over the crowd outside the mosque, dozens held up their mobile phones to grab images.

A couple of men laid Sarout to rest in the deep red earth of a cemetery bordering golden fields, as hundreds thronged around to get a last glimpse of the young fighter.

Syrian activists and opposition supporters have flooded Twitter with eulogies for a man they describe as the "goalkeeper of the revolution" or "songbird of the revolution".

Lebanese political researcher and university professor Ziad Majed said Sarout was "the truest expression of the Syrian revolution, its twists and turns".

He went "from a peaceful protester and singer demanding dignity and freedom, to a fighter defending Homs... to successive changes of fighter identities," he wrote on Facebook.

He was "close for a while to extremism and its black banner, but then distanced himself and returned to the northern Hama countryside" where he was mortally wounded, Prof Majed said.

Sarout starred in the documentary Return to Homs, for which Syrian director Talal Derki was awarded at the Sundance Film Festival in 2014.

The Idlib region, which is dominated by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham alliance led by Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, is supposed to be protected by a Turkish-Russian buffer zone deal.

But it has come under intense bombardment since last April from the regime and its Russian ally, killing more than 330 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

Since Thursday, Islamists and allied rebels have been battling pro-government fighters on the edge of the Idlib region in the north of Hama province, leaving more than 250 fighters dead in total, it said. </s> The story of Abdelbaset al-Sarout stands out from other military or civilian opponents who died or were killed inside Syria or abroad – as his life was witness to Syria's peaceful protests, vicious battles, demonstrations, siege, displacement, and poverty all the way from Homs «capital of the revolution» to Idlib «the last stronghold of the opposition».

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Sarout was wounded in clashes with government forces in the northern Hama countryside in the night of Thursday to Friday while fighting in the ranks of Jaish Al-Izza.

"He died of his wounds on Saturday," the head of the Britain-based Observatory, Rami Abdurrahman, said.

A nationally-recognized goalkeeper, he sprang to prominence in his home city of Homs in 2011 as one of many who staged street protests – he used to sing in praise of the revolution and was known as the “singer of the revolution”.

He fought in Homs, but left in 2014 along with other rebels under a surrender deal with the regime to end a two-year siege of its historical center. Four of Sarout’s brothers and his father have also been killed in the fighting and shelling there.

Sarout moved among Islamic and moderate factions, becoming a symbol of the revolution, as described by Mahmoud al-Hamoud, a leader of the Jaysh al-Izza rebel group, in which Sarout was a commander.

“He was both a popular figure, guiding the rebellion and a military commander,” said Maj. Jamil al-Saleh from Jaish al-Izza. “His martyrdom will give us a push to continue down the path he chose and to which he offered his soul and blood as sacrifice.”

He spearheaded the battles in the north of Aleppo and was among the first arrivals to Tal Meleh when factions launched a counter-attack in north-Hama on Thursday.

Sarout starred in the documentary "Return to Homs" by Syrian director Talal Derki.

Further, an album including all the songs by Sarout that went viral during the protests in 2012 was issued. His picture was also printed on postal cards designed by activists in 2012 to archive protests against the regime.

Upon announcing his death, some cheered up and described him as a terrorist while others mourned him and called him the “Guevara of Syria.”

This article has been adapted from its original source. </s> Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Abdel Basset al-Sarout was described as a "martyr" by a Syrian rebel commander

A Syrian footballer who became a symbol of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad has died of wounds sustained in clashes in the north-west.

Abdel Basset al-Sarout, 27, died in the Hama province, his rebel faction says.

A promising goalkeeper for Syria's youth team, he sprang to prominence in his home city of Homs in 2011 as one of many who staged street protests.

He had survived a brutal government siege of Homs, although many of his family members were killed there.

The story of Abdel Basset al-Sarout in many ways traces the trajectory of the revolution in Syria - from the heady days of hope to the grim war of attrition that has kept President Bashar al-Assad in power, the BBC's Sebastian Usher says.

How did Sarout die?

His death was announced by a commander of the Jaish al-Izza rebel faction fighting in Hama.

The commander described Mr Sarout as a "martyr".

Image copyright AFP/Getty Images Image caption Abdel Basset al-Sarout (left) was seen by many as a voice of the Syrian revolution

Meanwhile, the British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said he had been wounded in clashes between Thursday and Friday and died on Saturday.

The Syrian Network for Human Rights, a non-government organisation which monitors the Syrian war, also said he died on 8 June.

The Syrian army has not publicly commented on the reports.

Who was Sarout?

He was only 19 when the mass anti-Assad protests began in 2011.

With his long hair and a voice he used to sing in praise of the revolution, Mr Sarout soon became a symbol of that first peaceful phase of the uprising.

He famously stood side by side with another icon of the uprising - actress Fadwa Sulayman, who was a rebel voice from President Assad's own Alawite community.

But he took up arms as the government directed its full devastating firepower against Homs.

Mr Sarout later starred in the documentary Return to Homs, which portrayed his evolution from a talented athlete to a rebel fighter.

To Assad supporters, Mr Sarout was just another terrorist - proof of the government's claim that it had all along been battling an armed jihadist insurrection.

There were rumours that Mr Sarout subsequently pledged allegiance to the so-called Islamic State.

He denied this, but admitted he had considered the idea when IS seemed the only force strong enough to combat the government - a sign of how the rebel cause disintegrated.

Two years ago, Fadwa Sulayman died of cancer in exile in France.

Now, Abdel Basset Sarout is dead, too, fighting to defend the last rebel stronghold in Syria - which is itself dominated by a jihadist group that had him arrested in 2017 for protesting against its rule.

You may also want to watch: </s> This article is more than 3 months old

This article is more than 3 months old

A Syrian footballer who became a symbolic figure in the rebellion against the country’s president, Bashar al-Assad, has died of wounds suffered in a battle with government forces.

Abdul Baset al-Sarout, 27, who rose to fame as a goalkeeper for his home city of Homs, joined peaceful protests against Assad in 2011 and was known as the “singer of the revolution”. He later took up arms as the country slid into civil war. Four of his brothers and his father have also been killed in the fighting.

Sarout’s life and his role in Syria’s uprising and conflict was the subject of Return to Homs, a documentary film that won an award at the 2014 Sundance film festival.

Cpt Mustafa Maarati, a spokesman for the Jaysh al-Izza rebel group, said Sarout died of wounds sustained two days ago while fighting in northern Hama province.

Fighting intensified in north-west Syria on Friday after insurgents mounted an attack to repel an army offensive to retake the last major rebel stronghold.

The violence in Idlib province and a strip of nearby Hama is the worst escalation in the conflict since the middle of last year. Tens of thousands of people have fled their homes, many of them sheltering at the Turkish border from airstrikes that have killed scores of people.

Assad has reclaimed much of Syria with the help of Russia and Iran. Sarout was among hundreds of thousands of people, both civilians and fighters, shuttled to the north-west in recent years under surrender deals.

He fought in his city of Homs, but left in 2014 when such a withdrawal deal ended a two-year siege. Four of Sarout’s brothersand his father have also been killed in the fighting.
Abdul Baset al-Sarout, a Jaysh al-Izza commander, the “singer of the revolution”, and former Syria national football team goalkeeper, dies from wounds sustained Thursday when he was struck by Syrian Army artillery.