#SummerInSyria Twitter Campaign Backfires As Netizens Share Horrific Images Of War

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[news]

When Syria’s state news agency SANA started a Twitter campaign asking people to share photographs with the hashtag #SummerInSyria, they were probably hoping for cheerful, sunny snaps of people having a good time and enjoying the warm weather.

Their plan, however, backfired spectacularly. Instead of happy photos, the hashtag has been used to share images of a war-torn country rocked by years of death and destruction.

On June 22, SANA’s English-language arm sent out this message to its 15,000-plus followers.

Now that #summer is upon us, snap us your moments of summer in #Syria using the hashtag #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/sutvUuZUoj
— SANA English (@SANA_English) June 22, 2015

This has been the response:

(Warning: There are some disturbing images below.)

Now its #SummerInSyria your master #Assad welcomed it couple of days in Talbisa #Homs with #BarrelBombs
@SANA_English pic.twitter.com/mohmBmxpSv
— Fadi Al-Qadi (@fqadi) June 22, 2015

#SummerInSyria @SANA_English pic.twitter.com/R7ohB0aa3e
— Official Jargon (@OfficialJargon) June 22, 2015

#SummerInSyria Greetings from Homs
@SANA_English pic.twitter.com/U4uwCeqUlC
— Majdi (@Majdi__M) June 23, 2015

Enjoy #SummerInSyria, as Assad & mercenaries continue 2 wage war on Syrians, killing/maiming/encarcerating +8mln ppl pic.twitter.com/ltOCHjAGo2
— The 47th (@THE_47th) June 23, 2015

#SummerInSyria @SANA_English pic.twitter.com/GkJEFjnx4o
— Official Jargon (@OfficialJargon) June 22, 2015

#Ramadan in #Aleppo - Breaking their fast while keeping an eye on the barrel-bomb filled sky. #SummerInSyria #Syria pic.twitter.com/sDIYC4YRHy
— Lina Sergie Attar (@AmalHanano) June 24, 2015

#SummerInSyria Free puppet shows for the whole family.

#Cdnpoli #SKpoli pic.twitter.com/42Bfq2cQDk
— Alana Bowker (@AlanaBowker) June 24, 2015

I want to play, I want to be happy.
#SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/tuXdnwB5ge
— ??? ????. ?????. (@_bellemai) June 25, 2015

.@SANA_English Sunbathing! Enjoying the Syrian weather a few blocks from the presidential palace. #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/BoRKE4BZYk
— Abdul (@al_7aleem) June 23, 2015

Assad & his state media want you to enjoy #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/gcPU8dnPyz
— The 47th (@THE_47th) June 23, 2015

Even the U.S. embassy in Syria contributed a photo:

Asad regime barrel bombs Al Bayan hospital in #Aleppo, kills 5 nurses + injures 1 doctor. #SummerInSyria #Syria pic.twitter.com/iqlRPhhEk3
— U.S. Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) June 23, 2015

The bloody civil war in Syria is now in its fifth year, and it’s showing no signs of abating. More than 200,000 Syrians have been killed in the conflict and, according to Mercy Corps, more than 11 million have been displaced.

In May, the human rights group called the war “the worst humanitarian disaster of our time.” -- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website.



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