Syrian girl surrenders: Child recognises a gun but not a camera

Gaza, April 1: A photograph of a four-year-old Syrian girl raising her hands over her head has gone viral online. The picture first published in Turkish newspaper Turkiye in January, shows the little girl raising her hands over her head as if she is surrendering.

The image has evoke a lot of responses from across the globe, many saying that the picture broke their heart to see the little girl.

BBC tracks down the photographer

The picture captured by Osman Sagirli tells BBC how the girl mistook the camera to be a gun and raised her arms in fear. "I was using a telephoto lens, and she thought it was a weapon," Sagirli told the BBC.

Initially the photo was tweeted by Nadia Abu Shaban, a photojournalist based in Gaza but she did not know the origins of the image or any information about the girl.

BBC tracked down Sagirli who said that the girl, Hudea was living in a refugee camp in Syria.

"I realised she was terrified after I took it, and looked at the picture, because she bit her lips and raised her hands. Normally kids run away, hide their faces or smile when they see a camera.

Child familiar with a gun but not a camera

The image clearly shows what the little girl has gone through. Living in refugee camps she must have been exposed to the crisis in Syria and reflects that she may be more familiar with a gun than a camera.

Syria has been in a state of crisis after ISIS militants took over. The presence of militants in the country as well as Iraq has grown in the past few months, forcing many to live in refugee camps.

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