Syrian opposition activists say 23 people were killed in the operation to smuggle an injured British photographer out of the besieged Syrian city of Homs.
The photographer, Paul Conroy, made it safely to Lebanon but the CNN reoprts activists as saying many of those helping him died in an ambush by Syrian government forces.
The activists say a drone that has been hovering over Homs apparently shadowed the group on their way out of the city.
There is confusion, howerver. over the whereabouts of French reporter Edith Bouvier.
She was severely injured in shelling last Wednesday that killed journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik.
Reports that she too had crossed the border to Lebanon had not been fully confirmed, the BBC says.