their fortified positions. this is new. the rebels finally have a safe haven. >> translator: bashar and his supporters are cowards. the tyrant regime controls only where it keeps the tanks. that's it. >> reporter: eventually, we reach ali's unit. these are his men. his brothers in arms. four of them are actually his own brothers. but he's about to put their lives on the line. ali sends his brother ahmed, his top lieutenant, to lead a dangerous scouting mission into their hometown called marayan to assess the strength of assad's military positions there. so we're now in between two syrian army posts. there's one down that street and another in that direction. >> reporter: ahmed takes us to a house to show us the government outpost.