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Many of the returning refugees have spoken to
. Muhammed Zin, 28, told the Associated Press news
: "Assad was shooting us, killing us. I will return to Syria
. Thank God, the
is over." He fled the
Damascus in 2016, five years after Syria's civil war broke out in 2011. Another
, Malak Matar, told reporters: "This is a feeling we've been waiting 14 years for. We feel
free, we can express ourselves. The country is
, and the barriers have been broken down." He was hopeful for the
. He added: "Syrians have to create a country that is well organized and takes care of its people. It's a new
."