Hashim al-Hamran was seriously injured in a Saudi-coalition airstrike on January 21, 2016 in the town of Dahyan, in Saada province, while reporting for the Houthi-run al-Masirah TV, the station and the Yemeni Journalists Syndicate said. The 17-year old cameraman died of his wounds the following day.
Al-Masirah published a graphic video claiming to show the last footage al-Hamran took before he died. The footage shows residents sorting through rubble from a previous airstrike when a second strike hits, knocking al-Hamran to the ground. Those strikes killed at least 20 people, according to news reports.
CPJ emailed Saudi Arabia’s embassy in Washington on February 2 to ask for further information about the airstrike that killed al-Hamran. CPJ has yet to receive a reply to any of its inquiries about journalists killed in coalition operations.
On January 22, 2016, al-Masirah TV published a photo on its Facebook page of al-Hamran wearing military fatigues holding an automatic rifle accompanied by the official slogan of the Houthis known in Arabic as “The Scream.” Al-Masirah TV did not respond to several requests by CPJ to explain the photograph and whether al-Hamran ever participated in fighting. In the graphic video published by the channel, al-Hamran can be seen in civilian clothing as he reports on the damage caused by coalition airstrikes.