For hours now, social media users have been reporting unusual activity in Al Wakrah area in the Qatari capital, posting videos near the Emiri Palace where gunshots can be heard clearly.
بعد ما امر الامير تميم بإحالة شركة حمد بن جاسم للتحقيق
— راكان الهاجري (@rakaan_turki) May 4, 2020
للشيخ حمد يحاول يسوي انقلاب ويبي يبداء من #الوكرة pic.twitter.com/WNC6xLDuHS
Translation: "After Prince Tamim had ordered investigations into Hamad bin Jassim's company, Sheikh Hamad started at attempt for a coup in Al Wakrah"
Unverified reports have mostly mentioned the former Prime Minister of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim as the leader of the potential coup that is reportedly still going on.
Reportedly, Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, former PM and FM of Qatar tried to overthrow Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of #Qatar because he had ordered investigation into Hamad's companies for corruption.
— IranBehtar (@BehtarIran) May 4, 2020
His attempt was unsuccessful.
Additionally, some users have been monitoring air flights in Qatar, reporting a heavy warplane activity.
أخبار غريبة وكثيرة من قطر الآن
— عبدالله البندر (@a_albander) May 4, 2020
١- فيديوهات لإطلاق نار في الوكره
٢- طيارات حربية
٣- حركة الطيران الآن في سماء قطر مليئة بالطائرات الحربية
٤- تغريدات قطرية تتسائل عن ما يحدث#الوكرة #الدوحة pic.twitter.com/pN4FlAjrXd
Translation: "Lots of new and strange news from Qatar right now: 1- Videos of gunshots at Al Wakrah. 2-Warplanes. 3- Qatari skies are full of warplanes at the moment. 4. Qatari people are tweeting questions over what could be happening.
Some Twitter accounts suggested that the young Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani could be heading to London, hinting at the possibility of the coup's success.
هرب إلى لندن .. مين تتوقعون فيها ؟#الوكره pic.twitter.com/xq4rbZaGti
— رعد ?? (@Fsh345) May 4, 2020
Translation: "He escaped to London. Who do you think is on the plane?"
While it's unclear if these reports are actually true or not, especially since the Saudi-Qatari crisis in 2017 which has been fueling lots of rumors pushed by each country against the other, one Twitter account went ahead and announced Tamim's cousin Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani as the new Emir of Qatar.
صاحب السمو الأمير سلطان بن سحيم
— عبدالله (@16gbn3etykSDDpt) May 4, 2020
امير قطر حفظة الله ورعاه
سوف يلقي خطابة للشعب القطري بعد قليل،،
#الوكره pic.twitter.com/qsOZdyJO2y
Translation: "His Royal Highness Prince Sultan bin Suhaim will deliver a speech to the Qatari citizens shortly"
A day after an article appears in the Saudi Gazette where an Al Thani asks the ruler of Qatar to quit, there's a disinfo campaign on Saudi twitter saying there has been a coup in Qatar. Looks like 2017 all over again pic.twitter.com/ID1LJiQ4lW
— Marc Owen Jones (@marcowenjones) May 4, 2020