FACT CHECK: Two images of destroyed buildings shared with false claim

Users claim that it shows the before and after images of the building in Syria after the US airstrikes.

By Newsmeter Network  Published on  3 Sep 2021 9:33 AM GMT
FACT CHECK: Two images of destroyed buildings shared with false claim

Hyderabad: A photo collage comparing a multistory building and a collapsed building is circulating on social media. Users claim that it shows the before and after images of the building in Syria after the US airstrikes.


https://www.facebook.com/groups/374738260431079/posts/493539391884298/

FACT CHECK:

The claim is false.

Image 1:

NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found the same picture on `Alamy', a photo stock website, and in a news report by BBC News. The image was taken in 2017 in Syria when the Jouret al-Shayah, a former opposition area in Homs was destroyed.

The city of Homs is located in the center of Syria. It was once a stronghold of anti-Assad forces. The BBC News report mentions that the picture shows the bombardment of the Baba Amr district of Homs, Syria. The same was also published by Getty Images.


Image 2:

NewsMeter performed a reverse image search and found the same image on Alamy and Reuters from 2011. The descriptions clearly state that the image was taken in Hamra street in Beirut, Lebanon in 2011. Protesters had gathered after a Hezbollah-backed politician was named prime minister, shifting the balance of power in the country towards Syria and Iran. Furthermore, the bank in the viral image is Byblos Bank which according to Google maps is located in Hamra.


Clearly, these two images are not linked to each other and do not show the before and after of the building in Syria after the USA airstrikes. Different incidents took place at both locations.

Thus, the claim is false.

Claim Review:Images show the before and after of the same building in Syria after USA airstrikes.
Claimed By:Social Media Users
Claim Reviewed By:Newsmeter
Claim Source:Social Media
Claim Fact Check:False
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