Iranian Reporter Killed by Sniper at Scene of Blasts Targeting Syria Military HQ in Damascus
Iranian Reporter Killed by Sniper at Scene of Blasts Targeting Syria Military HQ in Damascus
Two massive explosions rocked the heart of the Syrian capital on Wednesday, striking near the army and air force command headquarters and sending huge columns of thick black smoke over Damascus. Iran’s state-controlled Press TV channel said one of its reporters was killed by a sniper as he tried to cover the explosions.
The bombings were the latest to hit the city as the uprising against President Bashar Assad’s regime intensifies, highlighting the increasingly deep reach of the rebels determined to topple him.
According to multiple reports, Press TV reporter Naser Maya was killed by sniper fire as he covered the blasts. Another Press TV employee was wounded, the English-language Iranian channel said. Iran is one of the isolated Syrian regime’s most ardent backers, and the Iranian anchorperson who announced the death was quick to blame the shooting on “insurgents”.
Both the rebel groups fighting across Syria’s cities and the government’s own forces often use snipers in urban areas.