Islamic State frees 19 of 220 abducted Assyrian Christians

Nineteen of an estimated 220 members of an Assyrian Christian community kidnapped by Islamic State (IS) in north-eastern Syria have been released.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said an Assyrian commander had told it of the release but some reports say the release was made in exchange for an undisclosed sum of money.

Assyrian Christian officials say the 16 men and three women who were released arrived safely yesterday at the Church of the Virgin Mary in the city of Hassakeh.

The kidnappings took place shortly before dawn on the 23rd of last month, when IS militants swept into about 12 villages.

Assyrian leaders and Sunni tribal sheikhs are trying to negotiate with IS to secure the release of the remaining captives.

BBC