As the Syrian crisis battles on, its toll on civilians is becoming increasingly heavy. In the city of Harasta, students are returning to a very different school environment.

A months delay for the new semester - The sound of reading can be heard once again. But school started to something else different - heavily armed soldiers guarding at the gates. This does not go unnoticed by the young boys and girls.

A primary school student said, "I know why the soldiers are standing outside, they are here to protect us."

Aside from schools and public places, government buildings and the main road leading to Damascus have also become the focus of military patrol.

Adnan Waza, mayor of Harasta, said, "The military deployment here is mainly to prevent any outsiders sneaking in, and soldiers responsibility is to protect local citizens."

Harasta fell to fire exchanges between government forces and rebels in January. Part of citys electricity and communication facilities has been destroyed. People complained over power shortages, and broken communications.

But the most talked-about topic remains their safety. For some time in the future, Harasta residents will be living under the protection of heavy guns. And they can only hope that life will soon creep back to normality.

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