Most of the Syrian fighters waging a guerrilla war against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad are ill equipped -- short on guns , ammunition and with no heavy weapons . But while peaceful opposition to the government has grown in the city of Homs since the summer , military defectors , who call themselves the Free Syrian Army , have now managed to kick al-Assad 's forces out of one neighborhood and hold the area . Baba Amr is now possibly the first place in Syria beyond government control . One freelance journalist and filmmaker -- who is not named for his own security -- has just left Homs , and CNN is showcasing what he saw on the front lines of a city at war . View his images in high-res . He said fighters opposed to al-Assad took him into a house , where their men -- one of whom had managed to take a rifle with a precision scope with him when he defected -- were engaged in a shootout with snipers from the Syrian military . Read how snipers rule the streets . They told him what was motivating them in their struggle against overwhelming force . `` We might not have much ammunition , '' one fighter said . `` But we are fighting for our liberty and those guys are fighting for money . '' The men introduced him to one of their leaders , Abdul Razzaq Tlas , who was one of the few willing to be identified . He was a first lieutenant in al-Assad 's army before defecting and his uncle is a former Syrian defense minister . He described why he decided to join the defectors . `` We got orders in the army that went against my oath as a soldier . I had sworn to protect civilians . But when I saw what the government forces were doing to the people I defected , on June 2 . '' People like Abdul Razzaq Tlas are heroes for the people of Baba Amr and he was cheered at a recent anti-government demonstration . But Baba Amr is surrounded by the Syrian military , and constantly shelled by tanks and artillery . At a meeting in a safe house Abdul Razzaq Tlas insists that even though al-Assad has not used his air force against the uprising , only a no-fly zone imposed by the international community could help the rebels win . `` We are in contact with soldiers who are in the army . '' They say `` a no fly zone is essential to prevent them from getting bombed if they defect . '' For now the men of the Free Syrian army smuggle fighters in and out of the neighborhood they control , evading government checkpoints . At night , they search everyone entering and leaving their area to stop government death squads , the so-called Shabiyah , from entering . `` The street you see over there is controlled by the Shabiya , '' said one militia member . `` They are known to kidnap our woman and childen . We try to prevent this . When strangers come here we stop and search them . '' The people of this part of Homs are not afraid to take to the streets -- there are regular night-time rallies -- but after months of casualties , they have long lost their faith in non-violent protest . In Baba Amr , many believe that real change in Syria will only come from the barrel of a gun .
Syrian defectors kick President al-Assad 's forces out of one neighborhood in Homs . One journalist has just left Homs , and CNN is showcasing what he saw on front lines . They told him what was motivating them in their struggle against overwhelming force . In Baba Amr , many believe real change in Syria will only come from barrel of gun .