Syria rebel fighters create 'wildfire revolution'

With no sense of irony our cross-border guide proudly announced:

"You are safe now. You are in Syria."

Everything's relative of course. He was a smuggler for whom the greatest threat in life is Turkish border guards.

Move on a few kilometres and the biggest threat to everyone is the Syrian army. After Homs came Idlib and in the villages north of there people are sure they are next. Many have already fled.

Binnish is half the town it was. But Assad"s forces haven't moved in just yet. The only new arrivals are rebel fighters who escaped from Idlib.

We happened upon one of their bolt holes.

In a crowded room they cajole and brag the way young men do the world over.

But here they also compare bullet wounds and remember fallen brothers.

Mohammed is the joker in the pack. A cheerful soul, he proudly shows off the bullet wound he sustained attacking the Assad militia group responsible for killing his brother.

Where coats should be hanging on the wall there are Kalashnikovs instead.

Mohammad snaps a single round from a magazine. He says it costs four US dollars. They get them from crooked Syrian army soldiers who can extort the high price because no-one else is supplying the rebels.

Despite this they remain an undefeated force.

This is a revolution of wildfires and the regime doesn't have the manpower to put them all out at once.

Both sides have the capacity to perpetuate the stalemate but not to break it.

A Syrian soldier told ITV News that he defected from the army after being issued orders from President Assad to "kill people demonstrating against the regime". His identity has been protected for safety purposes.