Jul 27, 2015, Press TV
A high-profile Syrian reporter has been killed by militant fire while covering military operations against Takfiri terrorist groups near the country’s capital, Damascus.
“Journalist Thaer al-Ajlani, reporter of Sham FM Radio, was killed on Monday morning while covering the continued operations of the army and armed forces against Takfiri terrorist organizations in Jobar neighborhood on the eastern outskirts of Damascus,” Syria’s official SANA news agency reported.
Sham FM also confirmed al-Ajlani’s death in a statement, saying the journalist was killed by shrapnel of a mortar shell fired by terrorists.
The militants have killed or executed a number of journalists over the past years across various Syrian areas controlled by terrorist groups.
The ISIL and al-Nusra militant groups have announced that journalists must declare allegiance to the terrorist group and obtain approval for all reports in order to be able to continue their practice in areas under ISIL control.
The Syrian Journalists’ Association has documented 153 journalists who lost their lives while covering unrest in Syria. Among those honored was Press TV correspondent Maya Nasser who was killed by Takfiri militants while covering an attack by the militants on Damascus in 2012.
Syria has been struggling with foreign-sponsored militancy since March 2011. The violence fueled by Takfiri terrorist groups has reportedly left over 230,000 people dead so far.