Three participants of an Australian reality show came under heavy firing by the Islamic State (Isis) militants in Syria during filming.
SBS' "Go Back to Where You Came From" is a TV reality show that takes ordinary Australians to countries such as Syria, Iraq and Myanmar to expose them to the troubles faced by asylum-seekers and refugees.
One of the episodes of the three-part docu-reality show was filmed by SBS in Syria, where the participants were taken to an area close to the Isis occupation. A promotional clip released by the Australian broadcaster, shows three of the six participants running and taking refuge behind buildings amid sounds of intense firing.
"Righto, that's rounds coming in. Stay down, okay," a person escorting the group is heard saying. "Stay down, real low. Stay down below this wall. We don't want them to know we're here. They're just in front of us."
Since the release of the promotional clip from Go Back to Where You Came From, SBS has come under fire for risking the lives of the reality show participants.
Former army officer Justin Bowden told The Sydney Morning Herald that the participants of the show were under "substantial risk" in Syria.
"The video provides evidence that the appropriate controls were not implemented. The resultant incident requires further investigation to determine responsibility and culpability," said Bowden. He also pointed out that the participants should have been provided helmets.
Meanwhile, SBS has maintained that the reality show participants were in safe hands and were always accompanied by the Kurdish militia group YPG, which is fighting Isis in the region.
Isis is a terrorist group that has taken over swathes of land in Syria and Iraq to build its own Sharia complaint country - the Islamic State. The brutal Sunni group has executed several Western nationals, including journalists and aid workers, since 2014.
