James Le Mesurier found dead near his home in Istanbul

The founder of the White Helmets in Syria has been found dead in Istanbul, it has been confirmed.

According to Press TV, James Le Mesurier, who was a former British army officer, had come under increasing scrutiny lately over alleged links to terrorist groups in Syria.

Only three days ago, Russia’s Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, called on Britain to “clarify” Le Mesurier’s precise role, asking whether he had links to “al-Qaeda”.

Zakharova also asserted what is widely known, namely that Le Mesurier had previously served in the UK’s “foreign intelligence” service, a thinly-veiled reference to MI6.

Formed in 2014, the White Helmets is an intensely controversial organisation. It purports to be a civil defence group but critics and neutral observers alike have accused it of close links to multiple terrorist groups in Syria, including the local branch of al-Qaeda.   

ME