Damascus condemns White Helmet evacuation as 'criminal operation'

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Syrian government on Monday condemned the evacuation of hundreds of Syrian White Helmet rescue workers and their families with the help of Israeli soldiers, calling it a “criminal operation” undertaken by “Israel and its tools”.

The rescue workers and their families crossed out of Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights before arriving in Jordan over the weekend, fleeing an offensive by Syria and its Russian ally to take control of southwest Syria from rebels.

Israel said it had helped with the evacuation at the request of U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders - and there had been fears that the rescue workers’ lives were at risk.

The Syrian government has accused the White Helmets, also known as Syria Civil Defence, of being a Western-sponsored terrorist organization. President Bashar al-Assad has called the White Helmets part of al Qaeda in Syria.

The White Helmets was established as a rescue service in rebel-held areas of the country, where its volunteers have often worked to save people trapped under the rubble of government bombardment.