Seven paramedics of the Syrian Civil Defense Organization, "White Helmets", operating in areas controlled by the opposition, were killed during an attack by unidentified gunmen in Idlib province. The attack triggered an investigation into the incident at the base of the volunteer group in the village of Sarmin in Idlib province, which is controlled by the Syrian army.

Seven member of the Syrian White Helmets rescue group were shot dead by unknown gunmen on Saturday, sparking a manhunt and deep suspicions in the rebel-controlled province of Idlib. The men were killed in their operations center in the village of Sarmin at dawn on Saturday. Two of their vehicles as well as several of their distinctive white helmets were stolen, the group said.  

Many White Helmet volunteers have been killed in airstrikes during the six year Syrian war but opposition activists said it was the first time that members had been shot dead like this. Photographs from the scene showed the volunteers’ bodies lying across the floor of the centre and blood splashed over the logo of the White Helmets group. All had been shot execution-style at close range. 

The U.S. State Department says it is "saddened and horrified" by the news of the “brutal murders” of seven rescue workers at their base in Syria’s rebel-held Idlib Province. Spokeswoman Heather Nauert on August 13 condemned the attack by “cowardly acts of masked men” against the civilian volunteers.

The Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, has been honored worldwide for efforts to rescue civilian victims of air attacks and artillery fire since 2013. Officials reported that the seven volunteers were killed in their sleep on August 12 in the town of Sarmin in Idlib Province when unidentified assailants opened fire.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the killings. Much of Idlib is controlled by Al-Qaeda-linked insurgents. Syrian Civil Defense said two minibuses and other equipment was stolen after the attack. Dozens of the first responders have been killed in the six-year Syrian civil war.

The group is funded through donations from several governments, including Britain, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. The State Department statement praised the volunteers “who work tirelessly as first responders in order to save lives in incredibly dangerous environments.”