An Ambulance Driver Killed After Being Kidnapped and Tortured While Fleeing Raqqa.

On January 18, 2026, an ambulance driver working for Raqqa Hospital, Mahmoud Hajo (28 years old, of Arab descent), attempted to flee Raqqa for Hasakah with a fellow healthcare worker due to the intensification of attacks by Syrian government-affiliated armed groups in Raqqa.

Before reaching the village of Abu Ghashab, approximately halfway between Raqqa and Hasakah, the ambulance was seized by government-affiliated forces. These forces confiscated all money, mobile phones, and personal belongings from both civilians. After a prolonged dispute, the healthcare worker was separated from the driver, and Mahmoud Hajo was handcuffed. After being subjected to severe beatings and torture, Hajo was shot three times—in the neck, chest, and leg—by gunmen from Syrian government forces, killing him.

Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Iraqi Kurdistan has confirmed this incident through eyewitness interviews, communication with the victim’s family, the collection of documents, and a review of photographic and video evidence.