Early on Saturday morning, seven members of the White Helmets were attacked and killed at their base in Sarmin in the Syrian province of Idlib.

We condemn these callous murders in the strongest possible terms. Since the establishment of the organisation in 2013, the White Helmets have rescued more than 90,000 people from houses reduced to ruins, often following air strikes by the Syrian regime. Since 2013, almost 200 of its workers have been killed.

For many people in Syria the White Helmets have come to symbolise hope and civil courage, and all too often they have rescued people at the very last moment. The killing of the organisation’s staff was directed against this very symbolism.