Secretary General Yahya Maktabi said that the Syrian Coalition “has been deeply concerned about the news of ISIS abduction of over 70 Syrian citizens on sectarian pretexts in the Al-Hasaka province, adding that the Syrian Coalition “is following up on the incident and will do whatever is possible to help release the abductees.”
Maktabi demands that “ISIS release the abductees immediately and unconditionally,” noting that “this terrorist act and all other violations and crimes committed by ISIS and the Assad regime places more responsibility on the international community towards peacekeeping and the protection of civilians in Syria.”
ISIS militants launched a surprise attack yesterday on the predominantly Assyrian villages of Tel Shamiram and Tel Hormuz in rural Al-Hasakah and kidnapped about 70 civilians.
“To keep hold on power and restore its authoritarian rule, the Assad regime is gambling with the lives of civilians by avoiding targeting ISISI positions thus allowing this extremist group to grow and flourish,” Maktabi added.
“ISIS has laid a siege on the districts of Al-Joura and Al-Qusour in the city of Deir Ezzor for the second month, causing huge suffering for over 300,000 civilians trapped inside. They prevent entry and exit of civilians, block the entry of food and medical supplies, and cut off communications, power and water. In its scale and brutality, ISIS’s besieging of civilians bears resemblance to the Assad regime’s strategy of inflicting collective punishment on civilians in the rebel-held areas,” he noted.
Maktabi concluded his remarks pointing out that thousands of children, women and the elderly are languishing ISIS terrorist acts and waiting for “the help of the international coalition, which succeeded in relieving several Iraqi towns and the town of Ayb Al-Arab (Kobane) in Syria.” (Source: Syrian Coalition)
