At first, you don’t quite see it — there’s a round shape at the edge of a building. The light shifts, and the shape moves — it’s a boy, almost indistinguishable from the rubble of the bombed building in Aleppo. His body, covered in gray ash, only becomes identifiable under the direct headlights of first responders.

Video of the dramatic rescue of this boy was released this week by the Aleppo Media center.

The boy is covered in dust and is clearly dazed as the humanitarian group knows as the White Helmets approaches with a ladder. He tries to latch on but he doesn’t seem able to extract himself from the tangle of debris.

Using a crane, the group formally known as the Syrian Civil Defense eventually manages to dig the boy’s legs out and pull him down to the rescue ladder. Almost pre-emptively, their success is met with elated shouts of “Allahu Akbar,” meaning “God is Great,” in Arabic.

Read More:Amid the Rubble of Syrian Airstrikes, a Young Man’s Footage Captures the Strength of the Human Spirit

Though in the video he looks extremely shocked, the SCD reported that he was “well”.

According to the group, the airstrike on the building with the boy was one of 40 that occurred this Sunday, killing 49 and injuring over 70. The next day, they reported that another three airstrikes killed 40 more in the countryside outside of the city.

Since the conflict in Syria began in 2011, the White Helmets claim to have now saved over 70,000 lives, as per their website. One hundred and forty-one of them have died in the conflict.

For their work, The White Helmets have gained international recognition in recent weeks.

Their humanitarian work in the war-torn country even got the White Helmets nominated for the Nobel Prize.

This rescue comes as Russia has agreed to “pause” bombings in Aleppo so that humanitarian aid can enter the city and so that civilians and rebels can leave.

This boy is the most recent example of children to be made an example of the horrific situation in Aleppo.

In August, Omran Daqneesh captured the world’s attention when he was photographed dust- and blood-covered in the back of an ambulance. A little boy’s letter to Obama when viral when he asked the president to bring Omran back to the US to live with him and his family.

And last September, a photo of the lifeless body of 3-year-old Aylan Kurdi, found on a beach in Turkey, sparked international attention to the humanitarian plight of refugees making deadly escapes from Syria.

TopicsChildrenrefugeesWhite HelmetsAleppo

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In a Miracle Rescue, Boy Dangling From Aleppo Building Is Saved

By Luca Powell