Syria's Internet totally shut down

Web monitors say phone and Internet connections have been cut off, likely signalling a major military operation

Published November 29, 2012 4:04PM (EST)

Internet and mobile phone connections have been entirely cut off in Syria, according to Internet monitoring firm Renesys. The BBC reported that the firm said the country's connection protocols were unreachable, "effectively removing the country from the Internet.

It's a perturbing development, least of all because Bashar al-Assad's government has previously cut off Internet access in the past year when it has launched major military offensives against opposition groups and the Syrian public.

Executive Director of Human Rights Watch Kenneth Roth post a graph on Twitter from Internet monitoring firm showing today's stark cut off in Syria:


By Natasha Lennard

Natasha Lennard is an assistant news editor at Salon, covering non-electoral politics, general news and rabble-rousing. Follow her on Twitter @natashalennard, email nlennard@salon.com.

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Aol_on Bashar Al-assad Civil War Free Syrian Army Internet Middle East Syria Video