Originally published on March 10, 2014
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Hailed by colleagues as 'fearless,' Canadian photojournalist Ali Mustafa has become the latest international reporter killed in Syria after being hit by an explosion from a 'barrel bomb' in the Syrian city of Aleppo Sunday (March 9) morning.
The Canadian photojournalist had covered conflict zones in the Middle East for over a year, telling friends the "could not ignore this ongoing human tragedy."
The Syrian government has repeatedly used barrel bombs in Aleppo; large barrels or containers fitted with a timer fuse and filled with petrol and shrapnel.
But reports say that after rebels obtained surface-to-air missiles, government helicopters responded by flying higher and by re-fitting the barrel bombs with stabilizing fins.
Impact fuses are now also being used to ensure the bombs detonate when, and not before, they hit the ground.
On Sunday morning, Mustafa and 10 others were killed by a barrel bomb as he was photographing the destruction caused by a previous bomb attack."
The Canadian foreign ministry has confirmed it was aware of the reports of Mustafa's death, and his sister, Justina Rosa Botelho also confirmed his passing, posting a note on Facebook saying, "Hope the world will understand what an angel my brother was. He cared more for others than himself."
Unofficial tallies say some 140,000 people have died in the ongoing Syrian conflict. The Canadian newspaper The Nation notes that Syria has become the deadliest place in the world for journalists, with 63 reporters killed by forces on both sides.
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