Al-Jazeera cameraman killed in Syria

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 27 June 2015

Mohammed Al Asfer, a 19-year-old cameraman for Al-Jazeera, was killed in Daraa while documenting ongoing fighting. He was an activist with deep family ties to the uprising against the regime.

Summary

DOHA: A 19-year-old Al-Jazeera cameraman was killed yesterday while covering fighting in the Syrian province of Daraa, news channel said in a statement. Mohammed Al Asfer “was martyred after being wounded as he was covering the battles in Manshiya” village between the opposition and regime forces, said the statement. Al Asfer was an activist in Daraa, where the uprising against President Bashar Al Assad’s regime erupted in 2011. Al Asfer’s father was killed in the early days of the uprising and his brother was later killed in regime air strikes on Daraa, Al-Jazeera said. Al Asfer was wounded early in the uprising while covering clashes as a stringer for Al-J azeerabefore officially joining the pan-Arab news channel. “This is a sad day in the history of Al-Jazeera. We have lost a young man full of life and hope,” said Yasser Abu Hilala, General Manager, Al-Jazeera. Al Asfer represented “a complete generation of Syrians who dream of freedom and dignity, and were banned by the regime even from the right to stay alive.” Four more Al-Jazeera journalists have been killed in Syria since the uprising began, mostly in Daraa. - AFP

KEY POINTS:

• Mohammed Al Asfer was killed in Daraa, Syria.
• He previously suffered injuries covering clashes as a stringer.
• Al Asfer's family has faced tragedy due to the uprising.
• Yasser Abu Hilala called it a sad day for Al-Jazeera.
• Four other Al-Jazeera journalists have been killed in Syria.