Gunmen storm Syrian hospital caring for baby born in the earthquake rubble amid kidnap concerns
Gunmen stormed a Syrian hospital caring for the miracle baby who was born in the rubble of her family’s earthquake-shattered home.
The armed gang descended on the hospital and beat the clinic's director, a hospital official said, on Tuesday.
The official denied reports on social media claiming Monday night's attack was an attempt to kidnap the infant, named Aya - Arabic for “a sign from God.”
Aya has been at the hospital since February 6, arriving just hours after the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria. Her mother, father and four siblings died in the disaster.
Her miraculous birth and survival has led to the world following her story, with people offering to help her.
Several people have gone to the hospital, falsely claiming to be Aya's relatives, prompting local policemen to guard her, a doctor previously said.
A hospital official, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, said the gunmen's attack came after the clinic's director had suspected a nurse was planning to kidnap Aya.
The nurse had been spotted taking pictured of the newborn baby so was then kicked out of the hospital.
Hours later the nurse returned, flanked by gunmen who beat up the director.
The director's wife has been breast-feeding Aya.
Upon arrival at the hospital, the gunmen told local police officers protecting the girl that they were going after the director for firing their friend.
They said they were not interested in Aya, according to the official.
Aya’s mother died after giving birth to her in the aftermath of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that hit Turkey and Syria.
Her father and four siblings were also killed in the disaster.
Aya may be able to leave the hospital as soon as Tuesday or Wednesday, according to her great-uncle, Saleh al-Badran.
He said the baby’s paternal aunt, who recently gave birth and survived the quake, will raise her.
Rescue workers in the northern Syrian town of Jinderis discovered the dark-haired baby girl more than 10 hours after the quake hit, as they were digging through the wreckage of the five-story apartment building where her parents lived.
Buried under the concrete, the baby still was connected by her umbilical cord to her mother, Afraa Abu Hadiya.
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The baby was rushed to the hospital in nearby Afrin, where she has been cared for since.
The devastating quake followed by a series of tremors that struck southeastern Turkey and northern Syria reduced many of the towns and cities inhabited by millions to fragments of concrete and twisted metal.
More than 35,000 people were killed, a toll expected to rise considerably as search teams find more bodies.
The earthquake destroyed dozens of housing units in the town of Jinderis, where Aya’s family had been living since 2018.