Shocked Syrian boy whose picture went viral is now living under house arrest, photographer says

His bloodied face and shocked expression while sitting in the back of an ambulance became a defining symbol of the Syrian civil war last year, but the world has heard little of the plight of Omran Daqneesh since — and there may be a sinister reason for this silence.

Fox News tracked down the photographer who shot the now infamous clip of the five-year-old last August. He claims the little boy and his family have been held under house arrest by President Bashar al-Assad's regime since his photograph was shared on social media around the globe. 

Mahmoud Raslan told the news channel a lot has changed for Omran since the western media were ordered to leave Aleppo.

"I lost contact with the family of Omran", he said.

"The Assad militia had arrived and his family was guarded under house arrest, where they could not be reached by the Western media. Their residence was changed and they were put under security."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

There have been conflicting accounts of what happened to Omran after he was taken to hospital following an alleged government air strike on the besieged Syrian city.

At the time, President Assad called Raslan's picture of the dazed boy "forged".

Some reports said the family had been rescued and taken to hospital, but Omran's 10-year-old brother had been killed in the attack. While others said his whereabouts were not clear.

Raslan's claims haven't been verified, but he added the Syrian government have taken the action because they don't want the Daqneesh's to talk to the western media.

"He didn’t say anything except to ask for his parents", Syrian American Medical Society’s Abu Rajab said at the time.

"They arrived shortly after, in a second wave of people. Only then once Omran saw them did he start crying."

They reportedly refused to talk to the media at the time for fear of reprisal from state forces.