14 July 2025 | CPJ
Syrian photojournalist killed while covering clashes in Sweida
Shooting
“Sari Al-Shoufi risked his life to document critical events in a region of Syria that has recently plunged into renewed violence,” said Doja Daoud, CPJ’s Levant program coordinator. “His killing is a stark reminder of the grave dangers journalists face in conflict zones. Syrian journalists deserve safety and accountability from Syrian authorities.”
Rayan Marouf, editor-in-chief of the Druze-focused Suwayda 24 website, told CPJ that Al-Shoufi was last heard from in the early hours of July 14 while reporting from a checkpoint in his home village of Taara, near Sweida. “He told us around 1 a.m. that he was safe and staying with local armed residents,” Marouf said.
At approximately 6 a.m., Al-Shoufi began sending urgent messages. “He said the site was under heavy attack by drones and armored vehicles, and that everyone around him had been killed,” Marouf told CPJ. “He was wounded and trying to surrender, but no one was responding to his calls.”
Marouf said he spoke to Al-Shoufi by phone at around 6:20 a.m. and kept the line open. “I heard continuous gunfire, then the call abruptly ended,” he said.
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