‘ISIS killed 21 Christians in Syria’

According to CNN reports, there have been reports of the killing of a number of Syrian Christians by militants of the Islamist ISIS group in the city of Al-Qaryatain in Syria.

Syrian government forces, supported by Russia and its allies, retook the city of Al-Qaryatain from ISIS a week ago.

The head of the Syrian Orthodox Church said that approximately 21 Christians were killed after the city was captured by ISIS last August. According to him, a total of 300 Christians had remained in the city.

Ignatius Aphrem II told the BBC that three women were among those killed.

He said that some of them were killed while attempting to escape, while others were killed for violating the “conditions of dhimmitude,” which required them to submit to Islamic law.

Five other Christians remain missing and are believed to have been killed. Negotiations and payment of blood money resulted in the release of the remaining hostages.

The head of the Syrian Orthodox Church said concerning signs had appeared that ISIS intended to sell Christian girls as slaves.

However, he said that despite these killings, his goal remains the revival of interfaith solidarity.

Buses provided by the Syrian government have transferred thousands of residents to Al-Qaryatain and the city of Tadmur – which has the ancient site of Palmyra beside it

He said: “We have lived in these circumstances for centuries, we have learned how to respect each other, we have learned how to live together. We can live together again, provided that others leave us alone.”

All streets and buildings in the city of Al-Qaryatain are completely destroyed; including a 1,500-year-old Christian monastery that has been razed to the ground.

ISIS Defeats

Buses provided by the Syrian government have transferred thousands of residents to Al-Qaryatain and the city of Tadmur – which has the ancient site of Palmyra beside it.

After capturing Al-Qaryatain, ISIS abducted hundreds of city residents, including dozens of Christians; many of these Christians were released after paying blood money.

The Syrian government in recent months, with air support from Russian fighter jets, has achieved significant victories. Meanwhile, ISIS has suffered a series of defeats in recent weeks, including in the city of Tadmur (Palmyra).

Al-Qaryatain, about 100 kilometers west of Palmyra, was the first city that ISIS captured during its first major offensive operation after taking Palmyra in May.

Last month a partial ceasefire was established in Syria, which does not include fighting with extremist Islamist groups including ISIS and the Nusra Front.

The country has since witnessed a decrease in clashes.

Source: BBC Persian