Sounds dicey. Typical rebels use MANPADS, which have max ranges around 2-4 miles, too small to hit an airliner at cruising altitude. Missile systems with longer ranges tend to be bigger and more complex, and mostly used by well-trained soldiers in proper national militaries who know better than to target airliners. It seems that we have an exception to that here, but it still looks like it was reasonable to assume that they'd be safe.