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A young Syrian boy has been labelled a hero after video footage emerged appearing to show him braving a shower of bullets to rescue another child trapped in the middle of a shoot-out.
Footage released by the Shaam News Network, a news channel run by Syrian activists in Damascus, appears to show the boy initially lying on the ground as gunfire shots ring out near piles of bricks and rubble. The child is then seen getting up and running towards the burnt out shell of a car.
As he runs, he is seemingly hit by sniper fire. The boy stumbles and collapses to the ground, apparently dead.
The boy climbs back up off the floor after seemingly being shot (YouTube) Seconds later, he clambers back up off the floor and darts towards a terrified girl crouching behind the vehicle. A group of men can be heard exclaiming “allahu akbar” (God is great) when they realise he is still alive.
The boy then grabs the girl’s arm and pulls her back through sniper fire before disappearing behind the wall of a building. Both children appear to survive the ordeal.
The boy and girl try to protect themselves from gunfire (YouTube) Some viewers have suggested the boy may have been pretending to be dead in order to prevent the sniper from firing any more bullets.
It is not known where the footage was taken or what happened to either child after the incident.
The authenticity of the video has not yet been independently verified and many discussions are now focusing on whether it is legitimate or not.
Some reports suggest the events within it could have been staged, with doubts cast over the moment the boy appears to be shot.
Charlie Winter, a researcher at counter-extremism think tank Quilliam, told The Independent there is no real way of knowing at this stage if the video is real. He said it is also difficult to ascertain if the shooters are government troops or militant fighters.
Show all 40 1 /40In pictures: Syria conflict In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians carry children amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl on a street covered with dust following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrians react as they stand amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man carries a girl amid debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis An injured Syrian man walks out from the rubble of a destroyed building following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman makes her way through debris following a air strike by government forces in the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis People stand on the rubble of collapsed buildings at a site hit by what activists said was a barrel bomb dropped by forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad, in the Al-Fardous neighbourhood of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian residents stand amid the rubble of destroyed buildings
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian resident grasps a mattress amid rubble in the al-Firdous neighborhood of the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A view taken from Tel al-Sawadi shows a large explosion allegedly at the Wadi Deif Syrian army base in northwestern Idlib on May 14, 2014, which opposition fighters have been trying to capture for more than a year. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamist rebels detonated explosives planted in a tunnel under the army base killing or injuring dozens.
AFP
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A military vehicle that belongs to the Free Syrian Army is seen in Al-Amariya district in Aleppo
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian government forces hold up a portrait of President Bashar al-Assad (L) while others raise the national flag on top of a pole in the old city of Homs
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A wounded man sits as he is treated at a makeshift hospital following a reported bombardment with explosive-packed "barrel bombs" by Syrian government forces in the al-Sakhour district of the northern city of Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Debris rises in what Free Syrian Army fighters and Islamic rebels said was an operation to strike Al-Sahaba checkpoint, which is considered a gateway to Al-Dayf valley, and remove forces loyal to Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad in Maarat Al-Nouman, Idlib province
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Civil Defence members try to put out fire
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Opposition fighters carrying a rocket launcher during clashes against government forces in the Sheikh Lutfi area, west of the airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo
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In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian man reacts as he carries the body of injured boy following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least 33 civilians were killed in the attack
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis Syrian rescue workers carry the body of a woman following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo
In pictures: Syria conflict Syria crisis A Syrian woman walks past the burning wreckage of a car following reported air strikes by government forces in the Halak neighbourhood in northeastern Aleppo
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He said: “It’s fast becoming something that people will refer to as a video that sums up the conflict in Syria. But at this stage, I would hesitate to say whether it is legitimate or not."
The Independent is currently trying to verify the video.
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