UK Foreign Secretary Meets With Leader of White Helmets Group

LONDON (Sputnik) - UK Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt on Thursday held a meeting with Raed Saleh, the leader of the White Helmets, to discuss the group's activities in Syria, the Foreign Office said in a statement.

"Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has welcomed Raed al-Saleh, the leader of the Syrian Civil Defence (White Helmets), to the Foreign Office today to discuss the vital work the group has done in Syria," the statement read.

Hunt lauded White Helmets efforts during the hostilities in Syria, which "saved over 115,000 lives," according to the statement.

READ MORE: White Helmets Hiring Locals for Staged Chemical Attacks, Paying in Food — MoD

Both Damascus and Moscow accused militants and the White Helmets non-governmental organization of staging several provocations involving chemical weapons to influence public opinion and justify foreign intervention in Syria. In April, a staged chemical attack prompted the United States, the United Kingdom and France to strike Syria with over 100 missiles.