5 yıl önce

The legacy of Anas al Dyab

Even though he was just in his 20s, the young Syrian captured images of the aftermath of atrocities committed by the regime and Russian forces until he died in the line of duty.

Anas al Dyab was documenting air raids on Syria's rebel-held Idlib region on Sunday when a Russian airstrike killed him along with at least 17 civilians.

At the time of his death, he was hiding in the cellar of a three-storey building along with two members of the Jaish al Ezza rebel group.

A member of the White Helmets, he not only captured the horrors of the Syrian civil war but also the resilience of people who live through it. He was one of three witnesses to testify about the 2017 chemical attack that took place in the city.

Dyab was also injured in September 2018 by a missile bombardment when Syrian regime forces attacked the town of Khan Shaykhun. His family told AFP he would "not leave Khan Shaykhun except as a martyr".

The town in the south of Idlib has been particularly hard hit by regime attacks, forcing thousands to flee their homes. Even though it looked like a ghost town, Dyab chose to stay there till the end.

It was an emotional scene as friends and family gathered to bid farewell to Dyab. He was buried in the city of Idlib, as ongoing bombardment prevented him from being laid to rest in his hometown of Khan Shaykhun.

Raed al Saleh, the head of the White Helmets, said Dyab was killed while "trying to show the world what's going on in Syria". He said: "It's a great loss.”

Dyab leaves behind his parents and three brothers, one of whom is being held by the Damascus regime, Saleh said. The White Helmets said five of its members had been killed since the start of the escalation on Idlib.

The Assad regime and its Russian ally have stepped up their deadly assault on the rebel-held region of Idlib since late April, despite a September buffer zone deal to protect the region.