Syria's Kafranbel deserted after residents flee regime offensive Deserted streets in the town of Kafranbel in the Idlib province after its residents fled. The Russia-backed regime's offensive on the last major rebel bastion has displaced more than 800,000 people since December, according to the United Nations.\\nKafranbel was one of the first to join in as revolutionary fervour spread across Syria in 2011. A town of some 20,000 people, the city soon became known for the often humorous signs in English and Arabic that its residents held up at weekly demonstrations. IMAGES