Al Jazeera mourns death of colleague in Syria

• Al Jazeera Arabic cameraman Zakaria Ibrahim killed in Homs
• Ibrahim is the sixth Al Jazeera staff killed in Syrian conflict

Al Jazeera Media network mourns the loss of Al Jazeera Arabic’s cameraman Zakaria Ibrahim after he was injured by sniper fire while covering a Syrian army bombardment in the province of Homs.

Ibrahim, who died from his injuries on Monday, was in the village of Teldo to report on what was expected to be a ceasefire there between rebels and the forces of President Bashar al-Assad.

He joined Al Jazeera as a cameraman in early 2014 and had filmed numerous clashes and peace agreements in Homs.

Commenting on his death, Al Jazeera Arabic Managing Director Yaser Abuhilalah said:

“It is tragic that we have lost many colleagues in the line of duty this year, the latest being our cameraman in Homs, Zakaria Ibrahim. We depend and will continue to depend on our teams in Syria, who never left their besieged and demolished hometowns. They were citizen journalists who initiated contact with Al Jazeera and only asked to cover the hardships of their families and those around them. Al Jazeeraendeavoured to bring them in and provided them with the support to enhance their capabilities.

“Al Jazeera connected Zakaria Ibrahim and his other colleagues in Syria, who were living under siege, to the rest of the world. The channel will not spare any effort in alleviating the pain of their families and ensuring their security. The human sacrifices Al Jazeera makes is only a fraction of the sacrifices made by all those in the press and humanitarian agencies in Syria.

“Al Jazeera will not give up its moral and professional responsibility towards colleagues and viewers.”

Zakaria Ibrahim is the fifth Al Jazeera staff member who has been killed in the line of duty while covering the conflict in Syria since 2011.  In December 2014, Al Jazeera’s Mahran al-Dairi was killed while reporting on clashes between regime troops and rebels in Deraa. Mohammad Jalil al-Qasem was killed in September 2014 in the suburbs of Idlib. On December 4, 2013, cameraman Yasser al-Jumaili was shot multiple times as he tried to leave Syria by road after finishing an assignment. In January 2013, Mohammad al-Hourani, an Al Jazeera correspondent in Deraa, was killed by a sniper in the suburb of Busra al-Harir.

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Editors Note: Al Jazeera Media Network (AJMN) has comprehensive policies and processes regarding the recruitment of its employees, including journalists. These processes and policies involve a thorough vetting process, and apply to both permanent and freelance staff. As a matter of policy, AJMN does not knowingly hire anybody who has a relationship with any armed group or rebel faction. In fact, AJMN categorically rejects the assertion that Ahmad Al-Mesalama had worked for Al Jazeera in any official capacity. 

Al Jazeera rectified the original post as initially it was stated that Ahmed Al-Mesalama had worked for Al Jazeera when in fact he didn’t.