Quote:Israel says it has carried out an evacuation of members of Syria's White Helmets civil defence group from a war zone in south-western Syria.

Some 422 volunteers and family members were taken to Jordan via the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights overnight.

The UK, one of the nations requesting Israel's help, hailed the operation and will assist with resettlement.

The White Helmets describe themselves as a volunteer workforce that acts to save people in Syria's war zones.

Supporters of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and his Russian allies, say the White Helmets support the rebels and also have links to jihadist groups.

Quote:The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said they were acting on a request from the US, the UK and other European nations.

The White Helmets had become trapped in an area of south-western Syria near the border with the Golan Heights after an offensive by the Syrian military.

Quote:The evacuees were driven to the border with the Golan Heights and taken on from there by Israeli troops to Jordan.

The plan had been to evacuate 800 White Helmets and their families, but only 422 made it.

The BBC's Mark Lowen says the others have been hemmed in by the expansion of Islamic State group fighters into pockets of south-west Syria and, as this was a one-off operation, fears remain for the fate of those left behind.

Quote:The White Helmet volunteers and their families will be held in a "restricted area" of Jordan and assessed by the UN, pending resettlement.

Jordan said that "Britain, Germany and Canada made a legally binding undertaking to resettle them within a specified period of time due to 'a risk to their lives'."

The UK confirmed it would help with the resettlement, providing protection to "as many of the volunteers and their families as possible".

A statement from Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt said: "White Helmets have been the target of attacks and, due to their high profile, we judged that, in these particular circumstances, the volunteers required immediate protection.

"We pay tribute to the brave and selfless work that White Helmet volunteers have done to save Syrians on all sides of the conflict."