Reuters hacked, says Syria rebel story a fake

Reuters has been hacked.

The venerable news agency said someone gained access to its blogging platform and posted a fake story about Syrian rebels.

“Our blogging platform was compromised and fabricated blog posts were falsely attributed to several Reuters journalists,” Thompson Reuters said in a statement.

A story about Free Syrian Army leader Riad al-Asaad has since been deleted.

The story said rebels had pulled back from Aleppo – where a fierce battle some experts say is key to winning the civil war – continues to rage.

The FSA accused President Bashar al-Assad’s government for hacking the site, saying the story “was fabricated by the regime.”

The news agency said it took down the blogs while it attempted to fix the problem.

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During street demonstrations today in Aleppo, protesters called for the president’s death, Agence France-Presse said.

They chanted, “The people want the execution of Bashar,” and “The people want freedom and peace,” AFP reported.

“We go down the street with a single objective: the liberation of the country,” a protester told AFP. “For 20 years we supported the military, but in fact this army is against us."

About 15 people across the country died in fighting.

Reuters said journalists in Aleppo are reporting that rebels continue to fight; however, government troops are advancing.

The regime has regrouped and an assault on Aleppo appears eminent, Reuters said.

The government also attacked rebels in Damascus while using artillery and helicopters in Aleppo.

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