BEIRUT (AP) — Opposition-based Syrian first responders known as White Helmets say government forces and their allies have targeted 15 of the group’s rescue centers and killed seven volunteers during a months-long offensive against the rebel stronghold in northwestern Syria.
Raed Al-Saleh, the head of the White Helmets, says nowhere is safe inside the rebel-held area, home to 3 million people. Al-Saleh spoke Thursday via a social media broadcast from inside Idlib.
Al-Saleh said residents are experiencing “all types of death.”
The White Helmets are the main group providing rescue services in the enclave. The government labels them terrorists.
Since the Syrian government’s offensive on Idlib, backed by Russian airpower, began in late April, hundreds of people have been killed and key infrastructure has been targeted, including health centers and water treatment plants.
