The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued a statement to call on Turkish authorities to investigate airstrikes that killed ANHA reporter Essam Abdullah and other civilians in Derik. Abdullah was killed and Mohammed Jarada, a reporter of Sterk TV, was injured during the Turkish airstrikes on November 20.

“Turkish authorities must immediately conduct a full and transparent investigation on whether Hawar News Agency (ANHA) reporter Essam Abdullah and other journalists were targeted during Turkish airstrikes in the region,” said Sherif Mansour, CPJ Middle East and North Africa program coordinator. “Journalists are civilians and should be protected while doing their jobs.”

Mustafa Allua, head of ANHA, told CPJ by phone that the strikes occurred at 1:10 a.m. on November 20. “Essam told me that he will go to the targeted village to cover because there are civilian casualties. I agreed,” Allua said.  

“I was in contact with Essam until 2 a.m. We called him several times but were useless,” Allua said. “(W)e realized he was killed in the second airstrike.” Allua added that Abdullah’s body had been found with his camera burned.

Sterk TV’s Jarada was wounded in the northern Syrian city of Kobani, the reporter told CPJ by phone. Around 9 a.m. on November 20, the reporter went with two other journalists to cover the bombing of a hospital when another round of bombs hit the hospital. “I was injured in the head,” Jarada said, adding that he was hit by debris and his journalist colleagues took him to another hospital. “I am feeling good now,” Jarada said.