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

Syrian Government's #SummerInSyria Campaign Backfires
Dominique Mosbergen
By 

Senior Reporter, HuffPost

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.

This has been the response:

(Warning: There are some disturbing images below.)

#SummerInSyria @SANA_English pic.twitter.com/R7ohB0aa3e

— Official Jargon (@OfficialJargon) June 22, 2015

#SummerInSyria @SANA_English pic.twitter.com/GkJEFjnx4o

— Official Jargon (@OfficialJargon) June 22, 2015

I want to play, I want to be happy. #SummerInSyria pic.twitter.com/tuXdnwB5ge

— انا مَيّ. اوكي؟. (@_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

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

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.”

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Bashar AssadWorldPost Middle EastSyria conflictSyriasyria civil war

Before You Go

KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images
In this stunning picture, buses are shown turned upright to protect civilians from government sniper fire.Russia, Iran and North Korea are known to be in favour of the al-Assad regime, while many states also support the case of the Kurds protecting historical Kurdistan in the northern corners of the country.
KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images
Human rights abuse has been noted on all sides on the Syrian civil war, including mass murder, violence against women and potentially even war crimes.Petty crime is also a problem in towns and cities as the police force has stopped functioning along with many other aspects of the civil service.
Ibrahim Khader/Pacific Press/ABACAPRESS.COM
Fighters face constant battles with the state's army, and the use of chemical weapons in the conflict has been proven.The rebels are supported by France, the UK, the USA, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Rebels have been fending off government forces with weapons strapped to pick-up trucks, while the Army targets Aleppo with Scud missiles. Members of the Free Syrian Army, mostly those who defected from the state, brought weapons and armour with them.
KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images
The death toll in Syria is estimated to have reached 210,000 since it began in 2011. While the majority of deaths have been caused by fighting, many perish from cold, illness, lack of hospitals or other side effects of the war.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says at least 100,000 deaths are thought to be civilian, and the real numbers could be much higher.
KARAM AL-MASRI/AFP/Getty Images
The ongoing crisis has led to an estimated 6.5 million made homeless within the country's borders and a further 3 million fleeing to other countries.
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