Trapped Syrian rescuers execute elaborate escape
BEIRUT — The call came on Saturday night. In the raging war zone that is southwestern Syria, with enemy forces on the march, the 98 White Helmets volunteers brought their spouses, children and a personal bag each. A total of 421 people massed at two collection points where they were to make their crossing to freedom.
By the time they did cross, they were 422. One woman went into labor and gave birth by an emergency C-section. Her son, Nairouz, came into the world in an open field under the darkness of night just short of the frontier with the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
It was just one moment of drama in a complicated international rescue operation to extract the Syrian volunteer rescuers who work in opposition areas through their country’s bitter enemy Israel by bus to reluctant haven in Jordan.
It was a nail-biting trip through an ongoing conflict to a crossing in one of the most tightly sealed frontiers in the world. Up until the last minute, those on the ground were not certain whether the operation would go through. Up until the last minute, those on the ground were not certain whether the operation would go through.
Another nearly 400 people were meant to be pulled out as well. Most didn’t make it in time to the assembly points, unable to make it through roads fast closing by advancing Syrian forces on one side and expanding Islamic State militants on the other.
In all, it took about six hours to execute the evacuation, according to a person close to the operation who agreed to discuss the details on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.