Thousands of Christians in the Syrian city of Hassakè are fleeing their homes following attacks by the so-called Islamic State on June 25th.
According to Fides, nearly 120,000 people have left. Four thousand Christian families were among the first to leave, taking refuge in the nearby city of Qamishli.
Among those who have fled to Qamishli is Archbishop Jacques Behnan Hindo, head of the Syrian Catholic Archieparchy in Hassakè.
“The government army is currently gaining ground, with much difficulty, as fighting takes place in an urban environment,” he said. “On the other hand, the Kurdish militias in the region have responded to the raids of Daesh only when the jihadists tried to attack the Kurdish districts, concentrated in the eastern part of the city. Until that moment the government had not provided support to the army.”
Archbishop Hindo went on to say that neighborhood is at the center of “the most violent clashes between government forces and those of the so-called Islamic State.”
The Syrian prelate concluded by saying that Caritas Syria has already begun to provide aid to refugees escaping the violence. (J.A.E.)
