our journalists in syria say government forces appear to be losing their tight grip across the northern part of the country. we're going to get a firsthand account on the ground from cnn's ivan watson. >> reporter: young men and old sit on the ground chain-smoking next to assault rifles, but they say they've gotten these weapons within the last couple of months. they're trying to protect their communities, their families and villages by laying rings of improvised land mines but they're aware they do not have weaponry to match the tanks or personal carriers and air power of bashar al ...