Is Bana Alabed’s Twitter Real? 'Fake' Syrian Girl’s Account Is Center Of Controversy

Over the last three months one Twitter account broadcasting live from the war-ravaged city of Aleppo in Syria has sent out a mere 700 tweets and the messages are now firmly affixed in the Twitterverse with more than 252,000 followers waiting for the latest update. However, while 7-year-old Bana Alabed’s co-account with her mother has captivated the world, there are questions over whether the account is even real.

The tweets are at times poignant and heartbreaking and have a seemingly real tone of desperation as Aleppo continues to face bombings and airstrikes from Russia, the U.S., and the Syrian government headed by President Bashar Assad. But Russia and Syria opponents believe the account to be fraudulent and part of a propaganda machine to drum up opposition to Assad’s government and how the civil war is currently being handled.

The account’s description states it's managed by Bana’s mother, Fatemah, who also pens a majority of the tweets and provides updates on recent bombings, including those that allegedly have fallen right on their doorstep.

The veracity of each tweet and the account took on some weight after Fatemah Alabed spoke to CNN Sunday to combat accusations that she’s aligned with rebels or spreading propaganda. “Blasts” could be heard in the background while the interview was conducted.

"We are sure that the world listen to us, the world listen to the kids," Alabed said. "I am still here. I am real. I am still fighting for my children's life. We are not propaganda. We are real people. We are -- we are Aleppo's people."

The New York Times also spoke with Fatemah and reported last week that anti-Assad government activists and doctors who are presently in Eastern Aleppo confirmed the identity of the mother and daughter. Twitter has also verified the account.