Photographer who took viral picture of bombed Syrian boy reveals harrowing story behind tragic photo

Mahmoud Raslan. the photographer behind the iconic image of a dazed four-year-old pulled from the rubble from an airstrike has said he was reduced to tears at the sight of the little boy.

He said: "The tears started to drop as I took the photo. It's is not the first time I’ve cried. I have cried many times while filming traumatised children. I always cry. We war photographers always cry. Last night everyone cried.

"Omran’s affected me because he was silent. He didn’t cry. He didn’t say a word. He was shocked."

A  father of a baby girl himself, Raslan said the expression of the little boy hit him hard.

In a Facebook post shared by The Syria Campaign, he said:

"I thought of my 7 days old baby girl. I thought to myself it could be her. It could be any child in Aleppo or Syria."

Mahmoud, a war photographer said he was devastated to see saw bodies pulled from the rubble in the aftermath of the Russian airstrike that destroyed homes in Syria.

In a harrowing description of the attack, Rislan said he first knew of the attack after hearing explosions.

He said:

"I live just 300 metres from the attack. Just after 7PM following the evening prayers we heard the explosions. I rushed there with other three media activists.

"The first thing I saw was three bodies on the ground being carried into an ambulance. Those were the neighbours of Omran’s family. The building was totally destroyed -- all six floors were now rubble.

"Then I looked up to see another building half destroyed -- Omran’s house. The White Helmet rescue workers climbed the stairs of a building nearby by as the stairs at Omran’s house were destroyed. I joined into to help."

 
So heartbreaking... when elephants fight, it is the defenceless grass, like little Omran who suffer the most

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