Assyrian Christian Hostages Released by ISIL

ISIL has released 10 more Assyrians from over 200 indigenous Christians who were kidnapped from their communities in north eastern Syria in February this year.

According to the Assyrian Human Rights Network (AHRN), the civilians, five men and five women, were released on Tuesday evening, and are all said to be “in good health”.

On 23rd February 2015, ISIL fighters overran 35 Assyrian villages on the Khabur River in the north eastern Hasaka province of Syria. ISIL captured 253 Christians in the initial attack and drove a further 3,000 Assyrians from their villages.

Since the beginning of March, around 95 Assyrian hostages, mostly the sick and elderly, have been released by ISIL.

AHRN siad that the release of the latest group of hostages came as a result of ongoing negotiations, but they declined to disclose details on the nearly eight months of negotiations, citing “the gravity and sensitivity of the situation.”

ISIL still holds 158 hostages from the Khabur area in addition to 185 Assyrians who were  captured in the western Syrian province of Homs, in early August.

• Give thanks for the release of the hostages. Pray for them as they adjust to freedom and work trough the trauma of all that has happened.
• Pray for the ongoing negotiations to free the remaining hostages. Pray for them to be successful and for all hostages to be released without harm.
• Pray for the witness of the Christians to their captors, that those who  hold them will encounter Christ in life changing ways.
• Pray for Syria, for peace and for healing for this nation.

Psalm 102 vs 19 – 20: “… he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the Lord looked at the earth, to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die;“

Source: https://www.opendoorsusa.org/newsroom