Syria: Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently journalist killed in Idlib

A Syrian journalist and member of the Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RSS) media group has been killed in Idlib, Syria. According to the citizen journalist group, Ahmad Mohamed al-Mousa was killed by a group of masked men.

RSS exposed the atrocities of Islamic State (IS) in their de facto capital of Raqqa, publishing first-hand accounts, videos and pictures of the Syrian city under draconian jihadist rule. RSS was honoured in November by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with its 2015 international press freedom award.

The CPJ, which is based in New York, issued a statement condemning the murder: "Just a few weeks ago, nearly 900 journalists, press freedom advocates, and supporters attending CPJ's International Press Freedom Awards stood together in solidarity with Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently. Today we are all standing together again, this time in mourning. We pledge to work tirelessly to seek justice for Ahmed Mohamed al-Mousa and all other murdered journalists in Syria," said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.

Mousa is the third member of RSS to die in recent months. In October, Ibrahim Abd al-Qader was killed by IS militants along with fellow journalist Fares Hamadi in Urfa, south-east Turkey. in 2014, Al-Moutaz Bellah Ibrahim was abducted and murdered by IS.