Syrian journalist killed in Homs by govt fire

PanARMENIAN.Net - Syrian journalist and activist Mazhar Tayyara was killed by government fire in the city of Homs on Saturday, Feb 4 morning.

Homs, a center of resistance for the Syrian uprising against President Bashar al-Assad, has been under intense bombardment by government forces. Tavyara was killed in a shell attack.

"He was trying to help some people wounded in the bombardment when a second volley of shells fell and he was hit," a friend said. Tayyara sustained shrapnel to several parts of his body, and died hours later at a hospital.

He was a stringer for the Agence France-Presse, and provided video footage for The Guardian and Germany's Die Welt. His work has also appeared on CNN and Al-Jazeera. Tayyara had started participating in protests and helping foreign journalists, who are banned from Syria, last April.

The Committee to Protect Journalists issued a statement mourning his death on Wednesday, Feb 8.

"We offer our condolences to the family and friends of Mazhar Tayyara," said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, the organization's Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. "The Syrian conflict is growing increasingly dangerous for all kinds of journalists, from citizens who have taken the role of documenting unrest in the country to international journalists who report from the frontlines."

Tavyara is the fourth journalist who has died in Syria over the past four months, The Huffington Post reported.