Syrian soldiers tell of harrowing escape from besieged hospital When Islamist fighters stormed a besieged hospital in northwest Syria, regime soldier Mohammad Mahmud al-Assaf narrowly escaped a brutal fate by pretending he was already dead. The 28-year-old was one of at least 150 soldiers and family members who had been trapped in Jisr al-Shughur hospital for almost a month. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES