Syria’s White Helmets accuse regime of 'targeted attack' on volunteer

The Syrian Civil Defence Organisation, commonly known as the White Helmets, yesterday accused the Syrian regime of killing one of its volunteers using a “guided heat missile” in a “targeted attack”.

The organisation said a team of its volunteers was inspecting areas near the town of Atarib, northwest of Syria, when regime forces targeted them.

The White Helmets are a group of humanitarian volunteers who have become essential in rescue missions in northern Syria since the start of the war. The Syrian regime and its allies, including Russia, accuse them of being agents of foreign powers and terrorists operating in areas under opposition control.

The organisation, which has about 3,000 volunteers said it has rescued thousands of people since 2013 and documented the Syrian regime’s attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

Since the outbreak of the war, the group has lost 306 volunteers.

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