Hassakè – The Christians of the villages of Khabur valley taken hostage by jihadists of the Islamic State (Is) continue to be in their hands, and their fate is tied to the evolution of the military balance in the region. "We have signals – refers to Agenzia Fides Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo, head of the Syrian Catholic Archieparchy in Hassaké-Nisibi – that the army is about to attack the region that lies south of Qamishli and east of Hassaké, controlled by jihadists of the Islamic State. 

If the military operation has effect, they could then go to free the villages of the Khabur valley from where the Assyrians fled". In this uncertain situation, Archbishop Hindo reports that there is no reliable recent news about their possible liberation, and that any indiscretion in this regard should be checked carefully. "We had asked to free at least the children and the women, but so far that has not happened. The Assyrian Bishop told me: I will say that I am s ure of their release only when I see them arrive at the door of the church". At the moment, only 23 of the hundreds of Christians taken hostage have been released by the jihadists.

By: Agenzia Fides