Syrian children celebrate happy Eid despite destruction left by war

It's the real happiness that could only be reflected by children, whose innocence seems to have shielded them in the past and is now pushing them to move forward and embrace life and happiness to the fullest even in a place as devastated and broken as Douma, which was a home for one of the strongest militant groups in Eastern Ghouta.

"This year is a thousand, or million times better than last year I am so happy," one kid, Muhammad, told Xinhua in Douma on Friday, the first day of Eid al-Fitr feast, which marks the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

His friend, Salem said the life during the rebel presence was hard and expensive.

"This year is a thousand times better as last Eid we had terrorists and there were not a lot of swings and they used to charge as real expensive for playing on the swing as they used to charge us 300 Syrian pounds for one round on the swing, now it's 25 Syrian pounds only," he said.

At another playground in Douma, Salma said she is a seven-year-old girl, born when the war in Syria started.

Wearing all new and holding a small pink board, the shy girl said this year she is not afraid and that "this is the first time I celebrate and be happy during the Eid. It's even the first time I get a gift during the Eid."