Where Are They Taking The 230 Civilians?
The world was alarmed again as ISIS conducted a massive kidnapping in Syria’s Homs province.
The action made headlines as ISIS terrorists operating in Syria abducted more than 230 civilians including children, women and 60 Christians. The abducted civilians were taken in the central town of al-Qaryatain.
ISIS attacks also resulted in the displacement of an estimated 2,000 people from nearby villages.
The town of al-Qaryatain in Homs was captured the notorious terorist group.
There is a speculation that the abducted civilians were wanted by ISIL Takfiris for collaborating with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
In addition, the abductees just fled from violence in Aleppo and planned to seek refuge in Homs. Unfortunately, they ended up in the hands of ISIL instead.
The violence in Syria, which began in March 2011 as a protest movement similar to those witnessed across the Middle East and North Africa, has claimed over 240, 000 lives, mostly civilians, and displaced 3.8 million Syrians to take refuge in neighboring countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.
US Condemns Massive kidnappings in Homs
In a press statement in Washington DC, US Deputy Department Spokesperson Mark C. Toner said the United States strongly condemns ISIL’s kidnapping this week of a reported 230 innocent civilians, including women and children, in the central Syrian province of Homs.
“We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the civilians taken captive this week and of all those held by ISIL.” – Mr. Toner
Mr. Toner expressed strong criticism on ISIL’s deliberate kidnapping of religious minority group which further testifies to ISIL’s rampant criminality and brutality against all those who disagree with its divisive goals and toxic beliefs.
He underscored that ISIL continues to exact its evil upon innocents of all faiths including Christians and the majority of its victims have been Muslims.
Mr. Toner added that people of all faiths and many religious leaders throughout the region have united in condemning ISIL’s depravity, its mass killings, rape, sexual enslavement, lashing, stoning, crucifixion, and public murders of hostages.
“To help bring an end to horrors like these, we remain committed to leading the international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL.” – Mr. Toner
ISIS Brings Terror In Iraq
The rebel fighters belong to the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham.
The terroristic moves were not something new for ISIS – the group has been known for its insurgency operations in Nineveh and other provinces.
Mosul was the second city to be seized by ISIS militants in 2014. The Iraqi government lost control of Fallujah earlier in 2014.
With the raging aggression in Mosul, the International Organization for Migration estimated at that time, the number of people displaced by violence in Mosul and surrounding areas of Ninewa governorate reached 500,000.
Note that many in the west call this group ISIL, but that is a western name for them.
ISIS is composed largely of non-Syrian fighters and is believed to be made up of tens of thousands of fighters in Syria. The group gets its funding from oil revenue and wealthy donors in the Arab Gulf states.
