News / Thoughts

IS kills Christian hostages

A video has been released showing Islamic State militia shooting three Christian hostages in Syria. It appears the three men were killed on 23 September, the morning of this year’s annual Eid al-Adha (the Muslim Feast of Sacrifice).

This is the first time a video has been released of Christian hostages being killed by IS in Syria. IS is holding approximately 200 more Christian hostages in the country. Initially, the kidnappers demanded a ransom of £65,000 per person but sources say has now been reduced to around £30,000. IS is threatening to execute the remaining hostages if these demands are not met.

The murdered Christians were from the 253 villagers abducted seven months ago in Syria’s north-eastern Hassaka province, where IS jihadists overran 35 Assyrian villages along the Khabur river on 23 February. According to the the Assyrian International News Agency (AINA) the three men were Dr. Audisho Enwiya and Ashur Abraham, both from the village of Tel Jazira, and Basam Michael from Tel Shamiram.

The video also showed three more Assyrian hostages, who stressed that their fate would be the same as the three just shot dead in front of them, if the ransom demands were not met. These three stated their names as Zaya, 27, William, 51, and Marden, 49 and first called themselves ‘Nasrani’ (i.e. ‘Nazarites’, a pejorative Muslim term for Christians).

When IS captured the town of Qaryatain in the western Syrian province of Homs in early August, the jihadis snatched Assyrian hostages from at least 100 families

Source: World Watch Monitor

Pray now…

• Audisho Enwiya, Ashur Abraham and Basam Michael and for their families.
• The Assyrain Christians still being held hostage
• An end to the conflict in Syria
• The brave pastors who choose to stay in Syria and minister to their community