ICC Note: New reports have emerged that ISIS has released additional hostages. The total number of those still held is unknown. ISIS captured over 200 Christians from a series of villages in NE Syria last week. Reports say that they have started to implement a jizya or tax on the Christian minority and that this tax is what has allowed some of the civilians to go free.
03/04/2015 Syria (AINA) Today ISIS released four more Assyrian captives who were captured in the initial attacks on the 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur river, in the Hasaka province of Syria.
Two Assyrians from Tel Shamiram were released, Yatroun Marko and his wife Wardiyya Yonan. Two Assyrians from Tel Goran were released, 6 year-old Mariana Mirza and her father’s aunt, Bobo Mirza. Mariana’s parents had also been captured and were released on Sunday (AINA 2015-03-01), but ISIS did not release Mariana at that time. Mariana’s father’s aunt, Bobo, who also had been released, stayed behind with Mariana.
The released Assyrians are now in Hasaka.
See attacks on Assyrians in Syria for more information.
The number of Assyrians captured by ISIS is between 262 and 373. With the release of this group of 19, the number still being held by ISIS remains in the hundreds. According to Assyrian leaders, negotiations for the release of the remainder of the hostages are ongoing.
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