The State Department confirmed seven members of a Syrian search and rescue team were murdered by masked men.
The seven people were members of the Syrian Civil Defense Force, also known as the White Helmets, a team of volunteer search and rescue workers.
“These cowardly acts of masked men took the lives of civilian volunteers who work tirelessly as first responders in order to save lives in incredibly dangerous environments,” the State Department said in a statement.
The incident took place in Sarmeen, a town in northwestern Syria.
