Freelance reporter working for Turkish state broadcaster gunned down in Syria's al-Bab

Hussein Khattab, a freelance reporter working for Turkish state broadcaster TRT, was gunned down in al-Bab on Dec. 12. While the identity of the assailants remains unknown, TRT identified the perpetrators as masked gunmen on motorcycles.

Duvar English

Hussein Khattab, a freelance reporter working for the Arabic service of Turkish state broadcaster TRT, was shot and killed by anonymous gunmen in Syria's Aleppo on Dec. 12, TRT reported. 

Khattab reportedly died on the scene of the attack that took place in al-Bab that's currently controlled by the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) and Ankara-backed Syrian rebels. 

Although the identities of the assailants remain unknown, TRT reported that the gunmen rode by on motorcycles, wearing masks.

The 38-year-old reporter had been assaulted in another district of Aleppo some three months ago, and authorities are reportedly looking into whether the two incidents are connected.

Local media also reported that Khattab had survived an assassination attempt merely four days ago and that authorities were unresponsive to his report of the assault.

"He has been on the run fearing for his life for a couple of days as he survived a previous murder attempt 4 days ago," Syrian journalist Zaina Erhaim said on Dec. 12.