فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
An attempt by the Algerian newspaper Echorouk to erase an online record has ignited controversy. The newspaper deleted a 2016 article reporting the death of an Algerian national fighting for Bashar al-Assad’s forces in Syria. The article, titled “First Algerian Killed Fighting in the Ranks of Bashar al-Assad’s Forces,” detailed the death of Hussein bin Issa in the battles of Daraya, near Damascus.[6]
While the original article has been removed from Echorouk‘s website, it remains accessible through the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/…/%D9%85%D9%82%D8%AA%D9%84-%D8….
This deletion raises questions about potential censorship and the Algerian government’s complex relationship with the Syrian conflict. While Algeria has officially urged for a peaceful resolution to the crisis[1][7] and President Tebboune has discussed developments with al-Assad[2], the removal of this article suggests a sensitivity surrounding Algerian involvement in the conflict.
Algeria maintained relations with Syria following the outbreak of the civil war in 2011[2]. In 2011, Algeria urged Damascus to sign the Arab League protocol to avoid internationalizing the crisis[4]. In 2020, Algeria hinted at Syria’s return to the Arab League, calling Syria’s expulsion a “historical mistake”[4][8].
The incident also surfaces amid concerns about foreign fighters in Syria. While difficult to verify, some reports suggest that hundreds of Algerians joined various sides of the Syrian conflict.
