Outdated Photo Shared as US Airdrop at Gweiran Prison in Syria
The Claim
The photo shows U.S. special forces conducting an airdrop operation at Gweiran Prison in the Syrian city of Al-Hasakah.
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Facebook accounts have recently shared a photo claiming it showed a U.S. airdrop operation at Gweiran Prison in Al-Hasakah city in northeastern Syria.
Description: The screenshot shows the recently circulated claim.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s team investigated the claim and found it misleading. The photo is outdated; it was shared on the Alamy website for photos in Aug. 2000.
Misbar’s team also found that the photo was shared on websites focused on military affairs. These websites mention that the photo was taken by an American officer named Elisandro T. Diaz, but they fail to mention where the photo was taken.
The claim has been circulating against the backdrop of attempts by Daesh (or IS) to storm the Gweiran Prison in Al-Hasakah on Jan. 20. The claim also follows joint airstrikes conducted by U.S. forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces. Some 120 IS members have been killed, according to the BBC.
Description: The screenshot shows a BBC headline in Arabic reporting the news that 120 IS members have been killed in airstrikes carried out jointly by U.S. and SDF forces.
Translated by Ahmed N. A. Almassri