A video that appeared to show a young Syrian boy running through sniper fire to rescue a young girl is a fake, it has emerged.

The boy was hailed a hero after the one-minute clip, thought to be filmed in Yabroud, a countryside town 50 miles from Damascus, was posted online earlier this week.

But a group of Norwegian filmmakers have today revealed that the footage was in fact shot on location in Malta using professional actors.

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Faked: This picture shows the Norwegian filmmakers on the set of the video, which was watched by millions

Heroic: The original video, uploaded earlier this week, appeared to show a boy running through sniper fire

Behind the camera: The one-minute clip was shot on location in Malta, on a set used for films such as Troy

Lars Klevberg, a director based in Oslo, said that he wrote the dramatic script after watching news coverage of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

The 34-year-old said that he wanted to present the film as authentic in order to 'spur debate' and 'spark action' on behalf of 'innocent children all over the world who are affected by war'.

He told the BBC that he was not uncomfortable about potentially deceiving viewers with the video - which has been watched more than 3.6million times on YouTube.

He added that his hope was that people would react 'with hope' when they saw the video, which was filmed on a set used for blockbusters such as Gladiator and Troy.

The clip shows the boy coming under fire as he dashes towards a car-wreck ahead. As he runs shots are fired at him and he appears to fake being shot in the chest and falling over.

Professionals: The boy who pretended to be shot in the clip, above, is actually an actor from Malta

Duped: The filmmakers said that they wanted to spark a debate about children living in war zones

A second later he gets up and disappears behind the car before emerging hand in hand with the terrified girl who has been hiding from fire.

He appears to struggle to convince her to run to safety, but the girl, dressed in pink, eventually runs with him as more shots are fired.

Mr Klevberg said that, while the film aimed to appear authentic, the children surviving gunshots was supposed to send small clues that it was not real.

'Bravery': The video appeared to show the boy rescuing a girl hiding behind a car - but she was safely on set

Dramatic: The footage, which received thousands of pounds in government funding, was posted this week

No regrets: Director Lars Klevberg said he did not feel uncomfortable about potentially deceiving millions

Blockbuster: The set where the Norwegian film was filmed was used for movies including Gladiator, above

He said that their financial backers, including the Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) and Arts Council Norway, supported their intentions.

Ase Meyer, short film commissioner for the NFI, told the BBC: 'It was not a cynical way to get attention. They had honest motivations

'I was surprised people thought it was real. When I see the film, the little boy is shot but he keeps on running. There is no blood on the child.'