The Syrian Electricity Army

From The Ground

A Report by Ugarit Dandash

for Lebanese Al-Mayadeen news channel

Published on 06 December 2018 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RupyZZzOLIU)

One of the main goals of the ‘War of Terror’ waged by the USA, its cronies, and stooges, against Syria is to destroy the country’s infrastructure to set the stage for looting it now and continue looting when time for rebuilding the country. A main pillar of the infrastructure of any modern country is the Electricity Power sector .

Prior to the Syrian crisis, electric power was available to each house in the country 24/7 at the cheapest prices in the whole region. Thanks to the government subsidizing all essentials, which also sets an undesirable example to other countries with corrupt officials aiming to rob their own citizens.

Therefore, the country must be destroyed, and its electricity facilities from power generating stations to the grid cables, to the smallest transformer in the last remote village must be destroyed after looting its equipment until the last battery and the last bolt.

Luckily, as the Syrian people were very vigilant to the plot against them, they managed to stand up to the terrorists heinous attacks, and as the Syrian Arab Army was facing the terrorists in direct battles and winning unwinnable battles against them, so the workers of the Electricity sector, earning them the title: The Syrian Electricity Army.

Video also available on BitChute: https://www.bitchute.com/video/RqgYyCFqR7L3/

And on LiveLeak: https://www.liveleak.com/view?t=C4HoH_1546111375

Here’s the transcript of the translation:

Highlights from First Part

There’s nothing harder than to pick up the remains of your friend with your hands.

My hands were soaked with the blood of many of our friends.

You can’t imagine how difficult it is when you’re the last person he spoke with in this life.

I remained injured bleeding on the ground for an hour, then I crawled on my belly, on my legs, on my back until I reached a sand barrack to avoid the incoming bullets and shrapnel.

Khan al-Sheeh area by itself is a story because we’ve been targeted a number of times (there).

One time we were kidnapped, once the terrorists took us to a place, they said it’s a safe place, then they started shooting at us.

One time they pushed us towards a place planted with landmines.

The credit is for those fighters who agreed to stay foot in order to deliver what they’re entrusted to (electrical power) to its end.

To be frank, our salaries are just like the other employees, it’s little, and about the (job risk) compensations: the worker is getting paid an assignment payment which usually isn’t more than 1000 Syrian Lira (SYP) above his salary per day.

The losses were enormous, especially in the electricity power sector, the direct losses reached 4,000 billion Syrian Lira (4

trillion), the indirect losses 1500 billion SYP.

The Syrian Electricity Army

Report by Ugarit Dandash

Engineer Mutassem Beiruti, Head of High Voltage Network:

Electricity power for us is a very sensitive matter, a strategic matter, this story is the relationship between a person and his homeland. One cannot belittle this relation when dealing with the homeland.

I cannot be satisfied that I’m alone getting the electricity power at my home and my fellow brother (citizen) in another province doesn’t get it, this is absolutely not in our principles.

We don’t define people based on their sect or from where they come from, this does not exist in our dictionary, the enemies of this country tried to inflict this schism, but we tell them cetrainly it’s not going to work for them.

Syrian Public Electricity Company – General Manager Engineer Fawwaz Al-Zaher:

The losses in the electricity power sector were large, in general, where the direct losses reached 4000 Billion Syrian Liras, and the indirect losses reached 1500 Billion SYP.

The indirect losses include the missed returns due to inability to feed the electrical power because of the continuous targeting (by terrorists).

The main targeting was at the electricity generation plants, Mhardeh, Zara and Tishreen Electricity Generating Plants.

Engineer Mutassem Beiruti, Head of High Voltage Network:

There were a number of engineers at the beginning of the crisis decided to flee, when the services in the country deteriorated, they said they don’t have to endure that and better to search for another homeland.

Unfortunately, nobody can find another homeland, the other homeland cannot be the motherland, this is our mother, therefore, we, the few who remained, about 20 of us coming from different provinces, and from different sects, but we accepted to be one hand, day by day, we lost some of us, but we continued, the relationship with the homeland cannot end.

We lose one, another one is born, we lose a friend, and another friend comes, naturally you’ll grieve, remember the memories with them, there’s nothing harder than to collect the (blown up) remains of your friend with your own hands. My hands have been soaked with the blood of many of my friends.

They were soaked with the blood of two of my friends from Homs who came to help us, you have no idea how difficult it is for you when you’re talking with someone and you’ll be the last person who he spoke with in this life.

I was the last one on this Earth who spoke with those two persons.

I was in Adra Labor District, we were working there, there were many landmines planted by the hands of the backstabbers.

We were pulling out from there, we were repairing the grid in that area, as you know the largest grid network is in Adra area, they spoke with me and told me they finished from here and they’re leaving, and after about 10 meters from me I saw how the landmine blew up with them, I ran towards them, I wasn’t conscious whether there could be another landmine that might blow up with me, sadly one of them was shred into pieces, I gathered him (his remains) with my hands, he was from Homs from al-Ali family, he was shredded in pieces, we wrapped him with a blanket. It was a very very hard situation.

I felt for more than a month that my hands are not cooling down from the blood, I used to always imagine the blood dripping from my hands, from the warmth of the blood, that was a very sad situation for me.

The very next morning, people were surprised, we returned to continue, true our two friends have martyred in this area, the next day some small parts of them were still there and a large pool of their immaculate blood, we couldn’t but to continue.

Maybe others would run away they couldn’t bear such a difficult situation for them, can I return the next day to the place where my friend died?

The problem is I cannot leave the country in darkness.

The Dark are waiting for such a moment when the country lives in darkness, myself, my friends or any decent person cannot allow anybody to do that.

Terrorists bragging: Jaysh al-Izza, Artillery Battalion, the targeting of the thermal electric power generating station in Mhardeh in response to the bombing of civilians in Hama northern countryside, 27 May 2016 Allahu Akbar.

It’s excellent, it’s excellent Abu Obeida.

Syrian Public Electricity Company – General Manager Engineer Fawwaz Al-Zaher:

There was an attack on the railway that delivers the fuel to the generating stations, there was an attack on the oil and gas fields.

As you’re aware the electricity generating stations work partly on fuel and the others on gas. The attack on the railway prevented the delivery of the fuel between the provinces, especially that the fuel is coming from one region and the power generating stations are in another region, so this item must be transported, therefore, the Ministry of Electricity depended on tankers, and there were massive difficulties for the drivers of these tankers to deliver this item.

High Voltage 230 – 400 KVA Maintenance Unit:

These men are handling any fault, whether in the towers or ground cables, we’re ready at any time anywhere.

We, the High Voltage Maintenance Units, we work on the high voltage grid wherever it is underground or in the sky.

We are the unknown soldiers, seriously, we continue night and day with all efforts, and in spite of that we are happy, we are glad because we are performing our duty.

Engineer Mutassem Beiruti – Head of High Voltage Network:

Another incident in Beit Sahm area, we were repairing a cable called Tishreen – Zahira which feeds Damascus city, it’s a main cable for Damascus city, the crew went there in the early morning, the terrorists sniped our friend Khaled Kallouh , may God bless his soul, he was shot directly in the head, as soon as the forklift took him up to bring down a cable from the tower, the sniper spotted him and shot him directly in the head, he martyred on the spot, we took his body to Tishreen Hospital, May God bless his soul, it was also a very difficult situation.

As I was telling, day by day you lose a friend, you lose memories, you lose your loved ones, and despite of that the next day we continued and returned there and fixed the problem.

People might think that we do not have feelings, what kind of people we are? But for sure we were not less from the Syrian Arab Army, I don’t call these teams workshop members, I call them the Electricity Army, an army in the complete meaning of the word.

Not any electricity workshop in the world can work in a battlefield zone.

In Maaloula, we entered there under a cover from the Syrian Arab Army, the terrorists breached the truce and the battle ensued and we continued as if nothing happened, we were fixing the problem and the clashes were going on, it was a war with the full meanings of the word: mortars, tanks shelling, missiles.. were all raining on us and we continued as if nothing was happening.

As I’m telling you when the homeland lives inside you it’s not possible for anyone to make you abandon this relationship.

We did the repairs. We heard of the most difficult repairs in the world, but there’s no such thing as the most dangerous repairs in the world, or call it the impossible repair in the world. We were carrying out the impossible maintenance which no other workshop in the world could do.

Syrian Public Electricity Company – General Manager Engineer Fawwaz Al-Zaher:

There were also challenges because of the economic blockade, because of the economic blockade there were difficulties in procuring the needed spare parts.

As you’re aware, the spare parts are all foreign parts, electricity generating stations were all built by foreign companies.

In addition to the power generating stations, there were the transforming stations and the distributing stations.

We had no option but to depend on ourselves, we went around the sanctions and signed agreements with friendly countries, which is no secret, like Iran, Russia and China, and with the contracts we signed with these countries that stood by us during this war, we managed to procure the majority of the needed spare parts.

For the other part we depended on ourselves. During the war we manufactured spare parts which weren’t manufactured before in our country, especially in the generating stations. We saved large sums of money by depending on ourselves.

During the years 2016 and 2017 we, the workers in the Ministry of Electricity, saved 52 Billion Syrian Liras by depending on ourselves and by having the workshops work by their own (without Western expertise).

Engineer Mutassem Beiruti, Head of High Voltage Network:

The citizens know there’s electricity, but they won’t realize the blood and sweat spilled for it, the efforts, the endurance of cold.. at 2 am there was a fault in Qara district, we were contacted at 2 am.

Within half an hour the workshop was on the way, reaching there around 4 – 4:30 am, and that area between Qara, Arsal Plains and around, was filled with landmines, planted by the fiercest terrorist groups located in that area, in an unimaginable way, despite that we went there, the temperature was minus 7(c), it was very very cold, even the members of the Syrian Arab Army asked us what are we going there for?

We said for repairs. They were surprised, true they were sitting there in this cold, but there were other people who are ready to sacrifice and are brave.

As the dawn and sunlight was coming upon us, we were there at the site of the fault, because the high voltage 400 KV is the main source that feeds Damascus city was disconnected.

We didn’t want the citizens to feel next day morning that there’s a big problem in Damascus city.

By the time people woke up the problem was solved, and nobody knew who went out there in the middle of the night, who felt the cold, who was tired, who went there risking their lives, I remember one SAA member came to me and asked me not to move because there was a personnel landmine just 5 centimeters from my right leg.

It was God’s will that saved me and because of this sincere soldier who asked me not to move, so he came and I moved far and thanks God I’m here before you, otherwise you can figure out what a landmine means, one might lose a part of his body or lose his life.

For 7 years we leave at dawn and come back middle of the night, we didn’t have timing, time and place were irrelevant.

We couldn’t care whether it was 2 o’clock or 5 o’clock, it was winter, cold, wind, rain, snow, we had all that out of our dictionary, the only thing in our dictionary was our country, our homeland, the word that the people must receive electricity power.

Syrian Public Electricity Company – General Manager Engineer Fawwaz Al-Zaher:

When a missile lands down, the workers are supposed to run away, our workers would remain on site and resume work immediately, directly after the missile they’d go put out the fire and continue and lay down new cables and do the repairs, directly and instantly.

After an hour or two the facility might get targeted again and they’ll return to it again.

Tishreen Electrical Power Generating Station was besieged for 6 months by terrorist armed groups, the workers at Tishreen Generating Station refused to leave the station, and they remained there and kept the station working despite the big assaults, and they repaired the problems despite hundreds of assaults on this station, and they insisted on staying there and continue to repair the faults.

Electrical Technician:

Our electricity workshops went in directly after the Army cleaned the area to Ain Fijah to repair the high voltage grid and to feed the (Fijah) Water Spring (facility) with electricity in order the water resumes flowing and the residents of Damascus would drink from Fijah Water Spring, which they were more than 20 days deprived from drinking water.

Engineer Mutassem Beiruti, Head of High Voltage Network:

The last kidnap we experienced was in Ain Fijah, as you know Ain Fijah was critical as they tried to pressure the state by cutting off the water from the people, the water from Ain Fijah was cut off for more than 30 days.

I remember it was Friday 13 of January seeing an old woman of 80 years old she was carrying a container and told me: my son I just want to fill this water container.

This was a very touching incident for me that we have to do something. When there was a truce between the state and the terrorists, we went on 13 January to Ain Fijah, there were terrifying numbers of terrorist groups in the area.

We went there to repair, water will not flow without electric power, you’d need the electricity to power the water pumps, as we entered there, we were surprised they breached the truce and were kidnapped.

They put us in one basement. We were insulted verbally and were threatened why we went there? Aren’t we fearing for our lives they told us?

I told them about this incident that affected me seeing this old lady.

I told them you might have your cause but I have my own cause there are 7 million people in Damascus city suffering from thirst and I’m obliged with my workshop to restore the electricity in order to run the water pumps.

After saying this they might have been touched so they stood in shock, then they told us we came there by our own feet to our death.

We replied it’s not an issue, each person has his own cause in this life. After a long time, we were freed with the interference of the reconciliation committee.

They told us do not repeat it and come back here.

Next day morning at 7 am the commanders of the terrorist groups were surprised to see the same persons who were kidnapped the previous day, who we might have been killed in cold blood by any of them who would kill all of us in cold blood and he wouldn’t care at all.

When they saw us next day morning it was like a shock for them: if these the Electric Army whose weapons are only the screwdriver, the pliers and the forklift are with this strength, this bravery and this sacrifice what would be waiting for them?! The Syrian Arab Army with their heavy weapons? It was a turning point for them.

They’ll only target these poor people were waiting for the electric power. They’re targeting their children who want to study. They’re targeting the hospitals where there are children and infants. Aren’t there incubators in the hospitals that need electricity? Aren’t there sick people on lifeline machines who need electricity?

There’s only indifference. The problem is only retardation, the irresponsible uncalculated retard thinking, with their systematic targeting they thought they can topple the state, they didn’t realize that there are honest and decent people. However they tried to destroy we were always standing up against them.

They vandalize and destroy in the morning, by the evening we fix and restore the electricity, any line, not a single line was an issue for us. Thanks to God all the lines we restored and at the fastest speed. There aren’t any workshops that would work like this.

You’re working 24 hours, minute by minute, and second by second in each detail of the hour we were working.

At times during the crisis we couldn’t bring with us the heavy machinery, it was always targeted for stealing, we had to work by hands.

A group of workers would replace the forklift, they’d replace the pulling machine… You can see in this area, it’s a rocky area, therefore most of the work would be by hand, climbing the towers without using the forklift, going down on the isolators using rope ladders, we resorted to whatever we could.

For sure the Ministry of Electricity has all the modern needed tools for maintenance work, the electricity power sector was targeted in a very very very ugly brutal way.

In Khabab area where we faced the landmines, the next day when we went there, they targeted a 150 tons lift worth about 3 billion SYP, it was directly targeted, they were aiming at it disregarding those two dozens of people working near it whether they’ll be killed or not, they didn’t care.

Group of workers:

We pledged an oath that all of us remain one hand to be serving the citizens, the people, and the country until we win, our army wins and the Electric Army wins.

Highlights from Second Part:



The clashes continued for about an hour after I was injured and bleeding on the ground.

Twice we were threatened by weapons.

If Damascus City is darkened it means all of Syria is gone.

Those days were very difficult for us, we were insulted, and working under pressure.

Second Part:

One time I had a gun pointed to my head, their purpose was stealing the station’s equipment, the oil, the batteries…

One landmine blew up in one of the lifts with me in Yabroud area.

I was injured in my ear while working up (the tower), I went down and exchanged tasks with my colleague.

The terrorist was talking with me from behind the wall: What is forcing you to work? Why you are staying with them? Why don’t you come to us? And why you’re restoring the electricity to them?

Conversation with a technician:

I got injured, with electricity, I lost my teeth. all of it gone.

When you got injured why did you return here?

I returned because my country needs me.

What are you doing here?

We came to fix the water and electricity here, to restore water for the people,

can’t keep the people suffer.

can’t keep the people suffer. Aren’t you afraid of getting injured once again?

I’m not afraid, here I am already injured and got back up again, and thanks God I’m fine with God’s mercy, I’m continuing my work, thanks to God, I’m fine and well, everything is ok, thanks God.

Fawwaz Kuzbari – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

We’re here carrying out maintenance on one of the high voltage cables connecting Kiswah power transforming station with Sheikh Miskeen power transforming station.

This line about 2 or 3 years ago was damaged severely, its cables and the towers, we carried out the needed maintenance, even when the terrorists were around, we worked in coordination with the Syrian Arab Army units, we came here and carried out several maintenance tasks, but recently it was assaulted much, its cables and damage to the towers, so now we are working on restoring it and maintaining it, in God’s will.

You can see the work nature is difficult and the terrain is difficult not easily to bring in the vehicles, so the workers are doubling their efforts, May God bless them, therefore, most of the work carried out is manual, climbing the towers and laying down the cables, it’s almost all done manual .

Hussein al-Mudhai – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

Khan al-Sheeh area is alone a story, because we were targeted several times (here), once we were kidnapped, one time the terrorists took us to a supposedly safe place and instead, they attacking us, and once they led us to an area filled with landmines.

One landmine blew up with one of the vehicles, that’s how we got to know it’s a landmines area. It was a Monday, I remember it as if it was yesterday only.

That’s when our friend Bassam Marhi was injured. We were told there’s a fault in the Der Ali 400 line which feeds Deemas station, at 6 am.

We headed to the area, the location of the fault was on the line of fire between the Army and the terrorists, we coordinated with the Army which didn’t object and helped us a lot, we also coordinated with the (Electricity) emergency center inside Khan Al-Sheeh to speak to the terrorists that we will be entering there, they said we will be safe.

We entered and started working at the first tower, we brought its phases down to the ground, when we started working at the second opening we suddenly started hearing the bullets fired, we couldn’t tell from where its source, each of us found a rock and hid behind it. We spoke again with the Emergency technicians inside Khan Al-Sheeh about what is going on with us, they said there’s one of the (terrorist) groups they didn’t coordinate with.

It took them about 2 to 3 hours until they coordinated with this group, we resumed working and once again they started shooting at us, more densely and they used the Doshka (DShK heavy machine gun), the one before was a normal sniper fire, and this time they were firing at us with Doshka, the first car was hit, they were targeting the rocks we were hiding behind, when it’s hit by a Doshka bullet it splits up, so we went and hid behind the car.

One of our friends, a young guy, he was standing behind the car behind the tire, the bullet went through the tire and through his leg, it was a very unpleasant scene.

We immediately tied his leg up with whatever we had cloths available and we started crawling between the rocks to take him to the main road.

We reached an open area, we couldn’t walk further, the army was not that far from us, about 10 meters, we were talking with them but they couldn’t get to us as the bullets were so dense.

The Army did some arrangements, they brought a tank and started firing at the place of the shooters until the medics could reach us, we put him on a stretcher and took him out.

Bassam Marhi – Worker in High Voltage Network Workshop Lost his Foot’s Instep:

We were working on 400 line in the Khan al-Sheeh area, on al-Salam Highway. There was a fault, we were fixing it and almost finished I got injured in my foot with a Doshka bullet, and one of my colleagues was injured with me.

Fawwaz Kuzbari – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

Those days were very difficult for us, we were insulted, and working under pressure, they used to chase us in a short period, in addition to their very existence around us was very problematic, we worked in lots of difficulties. We were targeted in Yabroud, in Qara, in al-Tal, I was in al-Tal.

We worked in very difficult conditions, we were threatened with the guns pointed at us and we were working, it was tremendous pressure on us, and despite that when we wouldn’t finish the same day, we would come back the next day and resume work until it’s completed.

Dhiya’a Othman – Technician at Saqba Electricity Transforming Station:

Saqba’s transforming station consists of two transformers 66 / 20, the high voltage of 66 kilovolt is transferred to 20 kilovolt and from it to the towns and villages are powered.

The electricity situation at the beginning of the crisis in the years 2011 and 2012 was very good, the towns and villages didn’t face any problem with the electricity.

In the year 2013 the military operations were intensified and the terrorists blocked the roads.

The minister (of Electricity) Mr. Mohammad Zuhair Kharbutli that time was the manager of Damascus Electricity Company saw that we, the residents of the area, be available and work in Saqba transforming station, to be able to preserve Saqba transforming station as much as possible.

Note that Damascus Ghouta had 7 transforming stations powering its towns and villages in the Eastern Ghouta, the only station that remained out of the 7 stations was Saqba transforming station.

In 2013 the siege was laid over Ghouta, it was blocked both ways, we couldn’t exit or come back in.

We were patient during all that period, one of the tools to be patient was this well you saw, we dug because we didn’t have water, there were difficulties in sourcing water.

The guys positioned at the station suggested, cooperated and dug this well.

This well helped us a lot in watering the plants, saved us a lot of effort to bring the water from outside the station, it was a long distance to be able to bring water for drinking, the well was good for using, but not for drinking.

This is one of the tools for patience and withstanding in this station.

Bassam Marhi – Worker in High Voltage Network Workshop Lost his Foot’s Instep:

Before the injury, I was also injured in my ear while working up (the tower) I went down and exchanged the task with my colleague, we were tightening the phases, and when we were about to fix the phase on the tower I was injured in my foot, my colleague was also hit, the clashes remained for about an hour after the injury, and I’m bleeding on the ground, I crawled for some time on my belly and on my leg and on my back until I found a sand barrack to avoid the bullets and the shrapnel targeting us.

Thanks to God I’m better than others. I was rescued by Engineer Abdul Qader Ghalayni with his driver Abdul Ghani Jallad, they took me to Razi Hospital and thanks to God they received me at Razi Hospital, they fixed the wound with metal cords.

Fawwaz Kuzbari – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

Most of the workers, about 90% of them are displaced, and we are wanted to work at any time, we are on duty 24 hours, at any time early morning or at night we might get called for duty and should be ready.

To be frank, our salaries are just like the other employees, it’s little, and about the (job risk) compensations: the worker is getting paid an assignment payment which usually isn’t more than 1000 Syrian Lira (SYP) above his salary per day, and he’s working from morning until evening.

We had lost martyrs and had wounded from us, and I was among them when a landmine blew up while I was in one of the forklifts in Yabroud, al-Sahl road. The SAA men rescued me, thanks to them, one other colleague was with me, they rescued us. I had severe burns, injuries, a broken leg, and thanks to God I was healed and returned to work, my same work and the same workshop.

Hussein al-Mudhai – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

We remained at the site until around 7 pm until they sent some people inside who fixed the coordination (with the terrorist group), they specified a number of people to enter, they don’t want many, only allowed 4 or 5 to enter, fix the line and leave.

I entered along with 3 other guys with me. We entered an area in direct contact with the terrorists.

The terrorist was talking with me from behind the wall: What is forcing you to work? Why you are staying with them? Why don’t you come to us? And why you’re restoring the electricity to them?

He even said let the electricity be disconnected from Damascus, from the president…

I told him the president is like any other citizen, it will not be disconnected from him, but who are you disconnecting it from? You’re cutting it off the hospitals, and what the people need, after a long discussion and he got angry with me, but luckily, he’s behind the wall and couldn’t reach me, we worked until 10 pm. At 10 pm we informed our management to restore the feed the fault is fixed, and we left the site.

Dhiya’a Othman – Technician at Saqba Electricity Transforming Station:

We were threatened with weapons twice here by the terrorists, one of the times the gun was pointed at my head, their purpose was to steal the station’s equipment, the oil, the batteries…

God, his Almighty, wanted us to secure this station.

The credit is for those fighters who agreed to stay foot in order to deliver what they’re entrusted to (electrical power) to its end.

They (terrorists) entered Nashabiyeh Station twice, as to my knowledge, maybe three times, they stole a number of things from it: a generator, batteries…

The staff couldn’t stand in face of the weapons, when a terrorist enters your site and points his Kalashinkov towards you, if you stand up to him he will kill you, if you don’t stand up to him he will steal the station, finally they decided to leave the station, they informed the main company which gave its orders to pull out from there to preserve their lives.

The same for Otaya station, the same for Irbin station, and the same in Zamalka station, only those who work at these stations understand its value, something that makes the heart bleed. These stations cost billions, it wasn’t bombed, but it was stolen.

What made this station outstanding is the honesty of the workers on duty in it, the large cooperation with us by the people, in addition to the decent people who had their voice heard in the town.

Hussein al-Mudhai – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

I remember this from the first day, my wife didn’t mention it to me, but my father did. He asked me once: My son, are you a soldier?

I said no, I’m not, but in this field when you love what you’re doing you give it everything, that’s one thing, the other is Damascus city if it is darkened it means Syria is finished.

We were fighting on this front: the front of darkening Damascus, al-Cham, the Southern Region, this is a great thing.

Believe it or not we didn’t seek money, or fame, nothing except maintaining the flow of power against the will of those thugs, nothing else.

And this motive was internally arising, sometimes when we’re at home and the electricity would just blink a little, it became a custom with us when the electricity would blink, we would call the transforming unit to ask what went down there.

Dhiya’a Othman – Technician at Saqba Electricity Transforming Station:

Some things you need to hide or seal it in case the terrorists would enter to steal it they won’t find it.

We agreed with the workers on duty to weld the diesel room with the electric welding (Oxygen welding).

The diesel room was welded and it paid off, we sealed it in a very tight way so nobody can open it, and in case they do try to open it there would be a very loud sound of the hammering, at night if the terrorist would try to steal it there will be loud noise, the neighbors would hear it, and they’ll help us.

Worker injured in the head arrives at the station:

What happened? That’s blood. .. It’s ok, just a minor cut… Sit down. We only say Thanks to God…

Hussein al-Mudhai – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

We asked for compensation because of the nature of the job. Our job nature before the crisis was different than that during the crisis.

Before the crisis we would block a high voltage cable for about 5 days for maintenance, we would do the normal fixes, in a secure area, while now you’re going among the terrorists, when going to terrorists’ areas you’re handing your life over to them, for what?

We’re just asking for some financial help, we just want to eat, nothing more, we are not eyeing to buy cars, we don’t seek to build palaces..

In the Ministry of Electricity, a large number of engineers and technicians left, we didn’t leave, they left for financial reasons, for living reasons some had their homes bombed and they had to flee, now renting and it’s an additional burden on the salary, so naturally they left.

We remained steadfast, and we bit over our wounds, and until this day we are giving and it’s with no favor for Syria, nothing pays Syria back, I’m ready now to go fix in Der Ezzor, in Aleppo, I have no problem, why? Because this is a homeland matter.

Dhiya’a Othman – Technician at Saqba Electricity Transforming Station:

Talking about batteries, once after the terrorists entered the second station, I discussed with the guys to remove the batteries from the storage and hide them outside the station, the nearest place was mine.

The guys on duty were from Irbin, Jisrin, Ain Tarma, from Misraba, so I was the nearest one to the station let’s hide them at your place.

We removed the batteries from here and hid them at my place in the basement. I’m from Saqba, and the people will see me bringing them down, they’re 48 batteries, Some problems aroused, so I spoke with the manager of the station Mr. Abdul Aziz Marji to remove the batteries and hide them at his place in Irbin. Irbin is far from Saqba station.

He responded positively and in the same day he hired a vehicle and moved the batteries and hid them at his place in Irbin.

When the staff of the Head Office came here, I told Engineer Madyan Uzaiz that the batteries are available. He was surprised the batteries were available.

I confirmed to him they’re available, and he said it’s excellent, because these batteries available and due to the blockade on Syria there’s none with their good quality and we’re not allowed to import new ones of this quality.

Hussein al-Mudhai – Head of High Voltage Network Workshop:

My son, we were sitting at home and the electricity went off, he said a big (naughty) word, I asked him why he’s cursing the electricity workers? He said they’re disconnecting it, so I told him the electricity is being cut off by the terrorists, while the state works to provide the people with electricity.

The people want to plug a plug and get electricity, they don’t know what suffering is behind this plug, how many people sacrificed their lives, he doesn’t know.

In Breij incident, we walked at night for 13 kilometers, the land was full of landmines, we can see the blown-up vehicles, and terrorists were in the plains, we walked for 13 kilometers and by 6 am we found the fault.

End of Transcript.

Addenda:

True heroes are blind to their own courage. These linemen demigods of the Syrian Electricity Army have shown the most noble modesty in their interviews; we offer some background which shows their resolute, patriotic fearlessness, and the inherent love of their fellow citizens.

Engineer Beiruti, who “cannot leave the country in darkness,” spoke of the Adra Labor District. On the night of 11 December 2013, this industrial city was overrun by “moderate armed opposition” who slaughtered an entire police station, invaded the hospital and beheaded at least one nurse, putting his severed head on a pike, and baked 200 Syrians in bread ovens.

Another modest hero quietly mentioned the overcoming the problems of al Fijah. Humanity’s oldest source of natural water, in Wadi Barada was polluted by terrorists 23 December 2016. The takfiri dumped diesel fueled into the spring, and deprived more than 5 million Damascenes of water for one month. Huge chunks of the infrastructure were destroyed by various sects of “moderates,” including the unhumanitarian White Helmets.

On 14 January 2017, SAA General (Ret.) Ahmad al Ghadban was assassinated upon leaving a meeting for Reconciliation with the occupiers of al Fijah spring. Eventually, the terrorists not wishing to rejoin the human race took the buses to Idlib, and the Damascus water crisis was ended. A pictorial carousel showing some of the devastating destruction of the water plant’s infrastructure by these ‘moderates,’ is seen, here.

Another modest member of the Syrian Electricity Army in the interview discusses Jaish al Ezza bragging about bombing the power station in Mhardeh. Al Ezza is the Saudi-owned terrorist gang that UC Berkeley‘s “Human Rights Investigation Lab” shamelessly used as ”source” in their criminal propaganda against Syria, on 18 January 2018. Jaish al Ezza is the same al Saudi gang that massacred 10 civilians in Mhardeh, 8 September (a 15-year-old boy later succumbed to his injuries).

On 5 December, the announcement came that these unsung heroes of the Syrian Electricity Army had re-electrified 30 towns and villages in Quneitra governate.

‘God bless them, every one.’

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