Syria
02/10/2012 / SYRIA
Was video of US journalist held in Syria staged?
A video that apparently shows US journalist Austin Tice being held captive in Syria has emerged online and generated much debate as to its authenticity. Tice’s family and friends believe he is indeed the man shown in this strange footage; however, doubts have been raised as to whether it was staged to look like he was kidnapped by jihadists, with some suspecting the Syrian government of being behind the video. Read more…
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28/09/2012 / SYRIA
Syrian underground hospitals overwhelmed as bombings intensify
Bombing is intensifying in cities around Syria, leaving makeshift field hospitals overwhelmed with wounded rebel fighters and civilians. Our Observer, a volunteer nurse in the eastern city of Homs, describes the dire conditions patients are treated in. Read more…
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06/09/2012 / SYRIA
20/08/2012 / SYRIA
Facing superior firepower, Free Syrian Army resorts to homemade weapons
One of the major challenges facing Syria’s rebel force, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), is that it lacks the fire power to take on the well-equipped regular army. With Syria’s borders more or less closed, the FSA is struggling to obtain the necessary weapons. As a result, the FSA is using its limited means to try and manufacture its own weapons.
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16/08/2012 / SYRIA – LEBANON
Lebanon kidnappings spark fears of spillover from Syria
Commanders of the Free Syrian Army have distanced themselves from hostage takers who say they have kidnapped a Lebanese sniper sent by militant group Hezbollah to fight Syrian rebels. Nevertheless, the incident has already caused outrage and threatens to destabilise Lebanon. Read more...
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14/08/2012 / JORDAN
Syrian refugees face 'miserable conditions' in Jordanian desert
With more and more refugees from Syria crossing the border into Jordan, authorities have had to build a new camp to accommodate new arrivals. Located in the desert, temperatures in the camp can reach 40°C (around 100°F), and strong winds whip up the sandy terrain. According to our Observer, who visited the site, living conditions are so harsh that some refugees regret having fled to Jordan at all. Read more…
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10/08/2012 / SYRIA
Who is the Free Syrian Army?
Two armies are currently at war in Syria. On one side are forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, and on the other, the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a rebel group that began with a handful of military deserters opposed to Assad’s regime. As the FSA carries out more and more successful attacks against the government, questions have emerged over the group’s structure, funding and methods. Read more...
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27/07/2012 / FRANCE
20/07/2012 / SYRIA
Syrian forces target largest Palestinian refugee camp in Syria
In the past two days, fighting in Damascus has moved into areas of the capital previously believed untouchable. Whilst the president and his family have always been seen as strong allies of the Palestinian cause, on Wednesday Syrian forces attacked Yarmouk, a camp set up in the capital which houses thousands of Palestinian refugees. Read more...
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19/07/2012 / SYRIA
Video shows Damascus protest escalate into violent street battle
Violence has reached new heights in Damascus since the bomb attack that reportedly killed the Syria’s minister and vice minister of Defence. Fighting between soldiers and rebels is now spreading through several different neighbourhoods of the capital. A video filmed in the neighbourhood of Rokn al-Din, in the city’s north, shows how a small protest gradually turned into a full-on street battle. Watch video...
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