Sunday, March 1, 2015

19 of 220 Abducted Christians Returned

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group has reported that 19 out the estimated 220 kidnapped members of an Assyrian Christian community in north-eastern Syria have been released. These members were kidnapped by the ISIS terrorist group, and the captives were returned due to a deal that included the exchange of money for the members. The members were taken before dawn on February 23, when Islamic State militants stormed 12 villages. The fact that even a few members were able to get released is seen as a positive sign, I'm sure many did not believe they would be released. Some reports say that all those freed were about 50 or older, which shows that age may be a factor to Islamic State group. Assyrian leaders and Sunni tribal sheikhas are trying to negotiate with ISIS to release the rest of the captives. Around 1,000 local Assyrian families are believed to have fled their homes due to the abductions. 

Carlitos Rangel 
article:http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31685931

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