Assad Says Iconic Photo of Boy Rescued After Aleppo Bombings Fake

The image has become a symbol of the suffering of the civilians in Aleppo.

Five-year-old Omran Daqneesh sits impassive, covered in dust and blood, after he was pulled out from the rubble of a bomb-hit building. (Photo: AP)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said on Thursday that the iconic image of five-year-old Omran Daqneesh is “forged”.

The photo shows the child after being rescued from the rubble of a building allegedly bombed by Syrian jets. The image became a symbol of the suffering of the civilians in Aleppo.

The child was pulled out by the White Helmets, a volunteer rescue group. In a TV interview, Assad said the picture was forged by the group, which was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize this year. Referring to the image, Assad said:

This one specifically is a forged one... I want you to go back after my interview and go to the internet to see the same picture of the same child with his sister. Both were rescued by what they call them in the West, White Helmets... they were rescued twice, each one in different incidents. And just as part of publicity of those White Helmets. None of these incidents were true.

In sharp contrast, just hours earlier, Assad’s wife Asma had expressed sympathy with Omran, calling him an “innocent child” and “a loss to Syria”.

According to Independent, Chinese state media has also earlier suggested that Omran’s images were doctored to wage a “propaganda war” and therefore justify Western intervention in Syria.

(With inputs from Independent.)