Sign up for CNN’s Sleep, But Better newsletter series. Our seven-part guide has helpful hints to achieve better sleep. Baland Jalal lay in bed terrified, experiencing his own real-life horror film.

By Tim Lister, Ibrahim Dahman, Oren Liebermann and Eyad Kourdi, CNN (CNN) — The photo shows a lean, tanned man in a dark helmet. He’s grasping a rifle and UN vehicles move behind him as he waves ...