RT Editor-in-Chief Says Stringer's Death in Syria 'Grief for All Who Knew Him'

Sputnik and RT Editor-in-Chief Margarita Simonyan has called the death of a stringer who collaborated with the RT broadcaster in Syria a "grief for everyone who knew him."

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Commenting on the death of the stringer, who was caught in a Daesh (a terror group outlawed in Russia) rocket fire in the Homs province, Simonyan said that the incident has become a "grief" for his family, colleagues and all the people who knew him.

"Stringer, with whom our Arabic television channel worked, was killed today in Syria. Grief for the family, for colleagues, for all who knew him…" Simonyan wrote on Twitter.

Стрингер, с которым сотрудничал наш арабский телеканал, погиб сегодня в Сирии. Горе для семьи, для коллег, для всех, кто знал…

— Маргарита Симоньян (@M_Simonyan) July 30, 2017

Alkhateb's death became the first one of such kind in RT's history, the chief editor noted in a separate statement.

"Courage to relatives, friends and colleagues of Khalid, to everyone who knew and loved him. We will do everything we can to help his family in this situation," Simonyan added.

Earlier in the day, RT reported that Khaled G. Alkhateb, a stringer who worked with the RT Arabic broadcaster, had been killed during a rocket fire carried out by the Daesh terrorist group in Syria's western province of Homs.

Khaled's last post on Facebook reveals his location in Al-Sukhnah, Syria, with his comment, 'Oh, God' https://t.co/1OWexzZ8vm pic.twitter.com/oLJZ81FoR7

— RT (@RT_com) 30 июля 2017 г.

According to Alkhateb's social media accounts he was born in 1992 and joined RT Arabic on June 12, 2017.

Since 2011, Syria has been engulfed in a civil war, with government forces fighting against numerous opposition and terrorist groups, including al-Nusra Front and Daesh, banned in a range of countries, including Russia.