05/07/2019 Syria (International Christian Concern) – The predominately Armenian-Christian Syrian town of Kessab was the target of terrorists Monday evening, injuring two. The name of the terrorist group is not reported, but rockets were launched into the area at approximately 5:30 PM local time. The injured were taken to a hospital in Latakia, where they are currently in stable condition.
Kessab is located just one kilometer south of Turkey, and four miles from the Mediterranean Coast. It was the only Armenian-Christian village of Syria, a population of about 2,000, although other places did have an Armenian presence. They are the descendants of those who survived the 1915 Ottoman Genocide. For this reason, their relationship with Turkey remains tense and it is believed by locals that Turkey contributed in the past to violence which targeted Kessab.
The Syrian Armenian community has suffered heavily during the war. Whereas other Christians would flee to Turkey or Lebanon, the memory of genocide and regional influence of Turkey gave Armenians less options. All Syrian Christians have been singled out by all sides of the conflict. Even though the war was evolved into a new stage where the regime increasingly looks like the winner, the challenges faced by the Christians who remain continue to multiply.
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