Journalists who visited Al-Qusayr in the wake of its liberation by the Syrian Arab Army have noted the absence of civilians.

Since the beginning of the crisis, the UK-based Syrian Observatory of Human Rights (an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood, "informed" by MI6) stated that the "sons of Qusayr" were defending the city against the loyalist army. The SOHR gave an imaginary number of civilian casualties enabling the NATO and GCC press to cry foul.

Quite the contrary, the Syrian Arab Army had waited for all civilians to leave the before launching its offensive.

One thousand foreign-backed fighters fled Al-Qusayr just before it was liberated.