Ross Kemp has revealed he was shot at by a Daesh sniper while filming a new documentary series in the Middle East.
The 51-year-old former Eastenders actor turned documentary filmmaker travelled to Iraq and Syria to meet Kurdish forces battling Islamic State fighters, reports The Mirror.
The show follows Kemp as he travels through regions torn apart as troops battle against Daesh insurgencies and, as you would imagine, safety is by no means guaranteed.
Kemp said:
It’s a journey to one of the most dangerous places on Earth. I witnessed the devastation caused by ISIS.
Places visited include the northern Iraqi town of Sinjar, where Kemp interviews a captured jihadist soldier, and the banks of the Euphrates river in Syria where the crew are targeted by an ISIS sniper.
Kemp revealed:
Our route to safety was dangerously exposed. The sniper opened fire on us as I was just a few feet from cover and the crew were still trying to get across.
Kemp also spoke to Kurdish fighters – a hugely important ally in the ongoing battle against Daesh – describing them as ‘a beacon of light in a sea of tyranny’.
“They’ve taken the fight to ISIS,” he says. “Behind the front lines I’ve witnessed a genuine movement for democracy, equality and tolerance.”
The show does promise to give a fascinating insight into life on the front lines of the war against Daesh.
