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Hyderabad origin British aid doctor killed in Syrian air strike

By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,

Hyderabad: Indian origin relief worker, Dr. Isa Abdur Rehman who was serving and treating injured civilians in Syria became another sacrifice in the bloody conflict of Syria, which has claimed thousands of lives.

Working with NGO Hand in Hand for Syria, 26 year old Dr. Isa was serving the medical needs of refugees since past one year in the civil war submerged nation. He was killed in the line of duty in north western province of Idlib, when government forces attacked the refugee hospital by air bomb along with him two other civilians also died in the hospital bombing on 22 may, due to lack of connectivity with the hostile region, his death and Indian connection was known a week later.



Dr. Isa Abdur Rehman

Dr. Isa belongs to Farooqui family Unani products manufacture and a prominent business family of Hyderabad. He was a British citizen being third generation immigrant from the family. Born in Rugby England, he grew up in north London, and got his medical degree from Imperial College. He worked in Royal Free hospital before moving to Syria; where braving all dangers in the line of fire he treated many injured civilians in rural hospitals and secret clinics, for almost 12 months.

In January 2012 Dr. Isa visited Hyderabad to meet his family few months after his marriage to Rasha Azam another British immigrant Azam family, another prominent business family from Hyderabad.

Dr Mahmoud al Akraa, a trustee of Hand in Hand for Syria and also a close friend of the young doctor, speaking to British Sky News said, “Once you met Isa you never forgot him. He was so kind, so warm and so brave. He had the respect of everyone and would do anything to help others in need.”

He added, “One time one of the refugee camps in Syria had cholera and no doctor would go in, except Isa. He would risk his life for others.”

“He worked up until midnight and would treat hundreds of patients each day. He would then sleep rough in a sleeping bag and often not wash for days.”

Dr. Mahmoud also revealed that when Dr. Isa visited Britain just six weeks before, he tried to pursue him to no to go back to Syria as Asad regime started targeting doctors and NGO’s working with rebel forces, Dr. Mahmoud tried to reminded him of his recent marriage, his young life and the future he have ahead, but Dr. Isa was so committed to his cause that he didn’t wanted to let people of Syria down, and again went back into presently most violent conflict ridden nation to serve the injured civilians.

Meanwhile Asad regime has justified Idlib hospital bombing which killed Dr. Isa claiming that Hand in Hand for Syria is an NGO of Jabhat-al-Nusra an extremist militant group of Sunni Muslims fighting against Alwaite Shia regime of Bashar ul Asad.



Donation campaign in the name of Dr. Isa

The organization Hand in Hand for Syria undented with a major loss, started an online donation campaign to carry forward the legacy of Dr. Isa, the donation campaign collected nearly £50,000 in 826 donations around the world in just three days. The charity organization will build a field hospital for Syrian refuges in the memory of Dr. Isa.

Indian embassy in Syria told news agencies that more than 15 Indians are still working in different glass and steel industries of a war ravaged nation.