The Killing of Yassin Baqoush

The famous Syrian comedic actor Yassin Baqoush (alt: Yasin, Bakoush, etc. Arabic: ياسين بقوش aka"Yassino") - aged 75 and maybe, barely, retired - was killed in Damascus on February 24, 2013. There are conflicting stories of who killed him, how and where, and obviously why. Rebels say it was by loyalist RPG round in Assali district, while Syrian official source say rebels hit him with a mortar in the Yarmouk district (Palestinian "camp") of the capitol. For example, SANA reported "Syrian actor Yasin Baqqoush was martyred on Sunday evening after a mortar fired by terrorists struck his car in front of his home in Yarmouk camp in Damascus. "

Note the part about being at his home, as SANA reports. As this location is known, it becomes far more worth considering that he was picked out for assassination (for unknown reasons), not just hit "in the cross-fire" as widely put. That is, if their version is true.

The rebels were often nearby - Baqoush was filmed passing through their checkpoint at Yarmouk a month earlier, and then his bloodied body was first discovered and filmed by them right after the killing. His family is not sure yet who killed Yassin, but they add that his body was mutilated. The video rebels filmed suggest he was actually executed with a bullet under the chin (a detail neither side yet mentioned), and seems to support the mutilation charge.

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