(Previous Incident Codes: R3709RS3926)

Anas Diab, a volunteer journalist with the Syrian Civil Defense (SCD) was killed in an alleged Russian or Syrian regime airstrike on Khan Sheikhoun on July 20th, 2019.

According to the Syrian Civil Defense, who blamed Russian forces, Anas was documenting the aftermath of previous airstrikes on his town, Khan Sheikhoun, when he was struck with “three consecutive Russian airstrikes”.

Local sources said that Anas Diab, aged 22 and originally from khan Sheikhoun where he got killed, started documenting the Syrian regime’s violations in 2013 and was working as a freelance journalist with Anadolu Agency. Syrian Civil Defence recovered his body out of the rubble.

Anadolu Agency reported from sources that on that day, Russian warplanes flew from Hmeimim base in Lattakia and performed raids on Khan Sheikhoun.

Syrian Network for Human Rights reported that the “Russian fired missiles” struck the al Gharbi neighborhood. Local Coordination Committee of Syria reported the attack was carried out with “vacuum space rockets”.

While most sources blamed Russian forces for the attack, Smart News attributed blame to the Syrian regime.