Ahmed al-Assam

Freelance

May 28, 2012, in Homs, Syria

Al-Assam, a 21-year-old cameraman and citizen journalist, and filmmaker Bassel al-Shahade, were filming incursions by security forces in the Homs neighborhood of Safsafa when a shell hit their car and killed them, Amer Matar, an exiled Syrian journalist and a close friend of al-Shahade, told CPJ. News reports suggested that security forces targeted the journalists because they were filming.

Al-Assam had produced a number of reports on the conflict in Homs, including one on the mass emigration of people from the war-torn city that was widely used by regional news outlets.

Medium: Internet

Job: Camera Operator

Beats Covered: Human Rights, War

Gender: Male

Local or Foreign: Local

Freelance: Yes

Type of Death: Crossfire/Combat-Related

Suspected Source of Fire: Military Officials

Related Articles:

• Five citizen journalists killed over two days in Syria, June 8, 2012