Syria disrupts news broadcasts from Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera TV Syria has been jamming the reception of TV signals from the Qatar-based news broadcaster Al Jazeera, satellite operator Eutelsat has confirmed. The interference has been traced to a location in Damascus, the capital of the troubled Middle East nation, according to Osama Saeed, Al Jazeera spokesman.
Viewers affected by the jamming can find alternative frequencies at http://sat.aljazeera.net, he added.
"Geo-localization reports indicate that recent jamming of Al Jazeera satellite signals emanates from Syria," confirmed Paris-based Eutelsat, which operates the Hot Bird satellite on which Al Jazeera is carried.
Al Jazeera viewers affected by the jamming can find alternative frequencies at http://sat.aljazeera.net.
Since its inception 15 years ago, Al Jazeera has been a regular target of hostility by regional governments – though disruption to its broadcasts have increased since the start of the Arab spring.
Last month, Iran was accused by Arabsat of jamming the signals its satellites carry for Al Jazeera.
Egypt's Nilesat suspended the news network after its coverage of the demonstrations against former President Hosni Mubarak back in January 2011.
A month later, Al Jazeera claimed its satellite transmissions were being jammed by Libya - some months before the regime headed by former dictator Muammar Gaddafi was toppled.
Officials in Syria have been highly critical of Al Jazeera's coverage of the popular uprising against the government, which has escalated the violent crackdown against demonstrators in recent days.
The anti-regime unrest, which began in March 2011, has now resulted in the deaths of 5,400 people in Syria, according to the United Nations.