Aleppo, Syria is a city divided between forces loyal to the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad and various rebel groups. The former controls the west, the latter the east. Much of the current suffering, devastation and despair in the media is from the east, currently victim to an extensive bombing campaign by Russian and regime jets. Conditions are notably better in west Aleppo, but this part of the city experiences shelling from rebel groups, in addition to other complications of the war. And today and yesterday on Twitter, many pro-Assad Twitter accounts complained this part of the city is getting overlooked.
Western journalists remain deaf, blind and mute when it comes to their beloved "moderate rebels" attacking western Aleppo.#RageForAleppo. https://t.co/iYefeSJx48
— Haidar Sumeri (@IraqiSecurity) October 1, 2016
Today in particular, there was much controversy over an article in The Independent – a British news outlet – on the death of the young Syrian swimmer Mireille Hindoyan and her brother. Some, including pro-Assad tweeters, said the article originally did not mention the possibility that rebel shelling killed the two.
Article fails to mention they were killed by rebel shelling of west Aleppo. Instead mentions Russian airstrikes on east Aleppo. @Independent
— Lina Arabi (@LinaArabii) October 2, 2016
.@katieforster You wrote a story on the dead siblings & didn't even mention their killers ("rebels") or where they lived (W. Aleppo). Shame.
— Haidar Sumeri (@IraqiSecurity) October 2, 2016
However, the article, which was penned by Katie Forster, now includes the claims that rebel groups were responsible for the deaths, but says they cannot be verified.
Earlier, other pro-regime accounts reported the tragic deaths of the two children.
Siblings Mireille & Arman Hindoyan were both athletes & were killed by rebel hell canon fire. There won't be mainstream campaigns for them. pic.twitter.com/XbXKvO4Ecy
— Serge (@Zinvor) October 1, 2016
And while the Twitter duked it out over the controversy, the battle for Aleppo raged on. Several hospitals were hit by airstrikes in east Aleppo earlier today.
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