Syrian Twitter user reports U.S. airstrikes 30 minutes before Pentagon
A Syrian Twitter user appeared to break the news of U.S.-led airstrikes in Syria overnight before the Pentagon announced it had launched them.
Abdulkader Hariri tweeted that "huge explosions shook the city" of Raqqa just after 2 a.m. local time, speculating that it could be "the beginning of U.S. airstrikes."
Breaking: Huge explosions shook the city in what might be the beginning of US airstrikes on ISIS HQs in Raqqa
— Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) September 23, 2014
The airstrikes were concentrated near the headquarters of the Islamic State militant group. "Sounds of warplanes can be heard clearly," Hariri tweeted.
The airstrikes 5/6 concentrated near the 'governorate building' ISIS's main HQ. Meanwhile, sounds of warplanes can be heard clearly
— Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) September 23, 2014
Reports of similar airstrikes on Tabga town and brigade 93 in Ein Essa.
— Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) September 23, 2014
The Pentagon made its announcement at 9:30 p.m. ET, or about half an hour after Hariri's initial tweet.
US military & partner nation forces have begun striking ISIL targets in Syria using mix of fighters, bombers and Tomahawk missiles.
— Rear Adm. John Kirby (@PentagonPresSec) September 23, 2014
Five minutes later, at 2:35 a.m., Hariri reported drones all over the sky.
The sky is full drones over Raqqa now
— Abdulkader Hariri (@3bdUlkaed6r) September 23, 2014
The tweets recalled a similar episode that occurred in 2011, when an IT consultant in Abbottabad, Pakistan, unwittingly live-tweeted the U.S. raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
“Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad (a rare event),” Sohaib Athar tweeted at about 1 a.m. local time, noting a "window-shaking bang" and reports of what turned out to be a U.S. helicopter that crashed during the operation.
“Uh oh, now I’m the guy who liveblogged the Osama raid without knowing it,” Athar tweeted after bin Laden's killing was announced. "And here come the mails from the mainstream media… *sigh*.”