On Sunday night a group of hackers acting as part of the organization calling itself Anonymous hacked into the Syrian Ministry of Defense’s website in an act of solidarity with anti-government protesters in Syria.
The website is currently unavailable, but a screenshot from Sunday night shows the faceless Anonymous symbol — an empty suit with no visible body — as well as links to Youtube videos purporting to show episodes of police brutality during the protests.
In a message to the Syrian people written in both English and Arabic, the Anonymous members announced that “the world stands with you against the brutal regime of [Syrian president] Bashar Al-Assad.” (RELATED: ‘Anonymous’ claims to hack 70 U.S. law enforcement websites)
“We salute your determination to be non-violent in face of the regime’s brutality, and admire your willingness to pursue justice, not mere revenge. All tyrants will fall, and thanks to your bravery, Al- Assad is next.”
The message also exhorted the Syrian military to protect civilians from the police: “You are responsible for protecting the Syrian people, and anyone who orders you to kill women, children and the elderly deserves to be tried for treason.”
It is unclear whether the hackers have retrieved any other information, confidential or otherwise, from the Syrian Ministry of Defense.
Members acting under the Anonymous banner have been an active part of the recent Arab Spring protests in the Middle East, frequently launching Denial of Service attacks on government websites in the region.
This attack is the first Anonymous-led effort to focus on the Syrian government and Al-Assad’s regime, whose brutal crackdown on protesters have resulted in more than 2,000 deaths, according to a CNN report.