New Report: Double-Tap Attacks Against White Helmets Volunteers
The White Helmets’ Investigation Support and Case-building Unit (ISCU) has released a new investigative report documenting one of the deadliest tactics used against humanitarian workers in Syria: double-tap attacks.
Over the past decade, more than 200 White Helmets have been killed and hundreds more injured while saving lives in conflict-related incidents. This report identifies 122 potential double-tap incidents and examines 12 cases in detail, showing clear patterns of deliberate strikes against first responders. For the first time, the White Helmets has examined evidence from its own archives – including video documentation, witness testimony and flight logs - as well as open-source data.
Findings reveal reasonable grounds to believe that Assad regime and Russian forces were responsible for the vast majority of these attacks. They targeted civilians, medical facilities, and rescue workers — acts prohibited under international law — with the goal of spreading terror, punishing communities, and silencing witnesses.
The report calls for urgent action: holding perpetrators accountable, providing support to survivors, and recognizing attacks on humanitarian workers as a global priority.
