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A Syrian Journalist Survived Not One, But Two Islamic State Assassination Attempts

Abd al-Qader founded a news outlet that reported fearlessly on IS. Now, the people who killed his brother and a colleague are after him—even in Turkish exile.
La página web de Eye on the Homeland

Syrian journalist Ahmed Abd al-Qader is in stable condition after being shot by suspected Islamic State gunmen in the Turkish city of Urfa.

Abd al-Qader is the founder and managing editor of the Syrian news outlet Eye on the Homeland, subjecting him to targeting by IS. This is the second time the group has tried to kill Abd al-Qader in three months, after assassinating his brother, also a journalist, and a colleague in October 2015. The Islamic State's Amaq news agency claimed responsibility for all the attacks after they were carried out.

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"Activist Ahmed Abd al-Qader is between life and death after assassination attempt number four, with three bullets! A member of ISIS slaughtered his brother months ago."

Founded on April 1, 2015, Eye on the Homeland is a online publication, FM radio station, and semi-monthly newspaper. Its website publishes in English as well as Arabic. Journalists for the publication have said they receive daily death threats from IS. It is likely the group has targeted, and killed, members of the publication due to their reporting on topics such as IS organizational strategy behind the Brussels attack, the location of certain IS militants in Syria, and the group's internal political decisions.

The Islamic State is notorious for its violence against journalists from Western countries and the Middle East alike. Syria remains the most dangerous place to be a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

"Even in exile Syrian journalists are not safe if they dare to report on the Islamic State group," CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney said. "The Turkish security services should step up their efforts to protect all journalists in the country and ensure that vital news sources such as Eye on the Homeland can operate safely."

Although much of the information reported by Eye on the Homeland is difficult to obtain from outside Syria, and despite the attacks, the publication has continued reporting and posting new content to its servers.