
Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Ammar Aldeerani, 21, a defected soldier from the Syrian security forces
As they waited to return to the fight against government forces, rebels at a house in Marea on the outskirts of Aleppo posed for portraits for AP photographer Muhammed Muheisen. In their former lives, before the war, they were a construction worker, a farmer, even a librarian. Two of them are former government soldiers.

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Hamzah Alhassan, 25, a former blacksmith

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Abu Muslim, 30, a former librarian

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Shadi Farrouh, 28, a former construction worker

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Abu Faris, 28, a defected officer from the Syrian security forces

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Ahmad Hussein, 22, a former factory worker

Muhammed Muheisen / AP
Abu Bara', 30, a former farmer
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