Five Turkish journalists, including two correspondents for Al Jazeera, have been injured while covering fierce fighting in the Syrian second city of Aleppo.
Al Jazeera correspondent, Omar Khashram and cameraman Hakan Bayginer were injured by shrapnel when a mortar round exploded near to where they were standing.
Both are being treated in a hospital on the Turkish side of the border, where doctors have described their condition as stable and said that they will able to leave in a few days.
Meanwhile, three other journalists, working for the Anadolu Agency, were injured in the city of Aleppo on Monday.
Photographer Sinan Gul sustained serious leg injuries from sniper fire, while reporter Samet Dogan and cameraman Kenan Yesilyurt suffered less serious injuries.
The journalists were covering the Syrian air force bombardment of Salah Al Din in Aleppo, which has seen increased violence in recent weeks. All three have returned to Turkey, according to sources.
In an interview with Anadolu, Gul said: "When snipers started shooting I used a car as a shield, and following the gunfire there were no Free Sryian Army soldiers around me. As they moved, I thought it was all clear."
"To hide myself behind a car across the street, I swiftly ran to that spot but I was under profound fire, snipers directly fired at me. I was shot in my left calf and right foot and for a long time they kept shooting at me," said Gul.
"I noticed that I was bleeding, but I shouted and told my friend (Kenan) to stay where ever he was. I used a scarf to stop bleeding. Later on opposition groups took me out from there via a truck," added Gul.
Rebels urged to protect journalists
Reporters without Borders (RSF) condemned the attacks, and expressed concern for journalists working throughout Syria. They also urged the rebel Free Syrian Army to provide protection to any journalists covering the conflict.
“Journalists are now falling victim to violence in Aleppo, Syria’s latest war front,” RSF said. “This week’s incidents join a long list of attacks and cases of abusive treatment of journalists since the start of the uprising in Syria. They fuel concern about the danger for media personnel in the north of the country."
“The location of the most intense fighting has been moving around for the country for more than a year but one characteristic remains the same: journalists are very exposed and no one seems to be trying very hard to protect them. The safety of these foreign and Syrian news providers–reporters and their support personnel–must be guaranteed not only by the government forces but also by the rebel Free Syrian Army.”
Journalists are being targeted everyday in Syria. Click here to view the list of journalists killed since the beginning of the revolution.
Source: RSF/AJ
