Turkey condemns ISIS kidnapping of Christians in Syria

Turkey harshly condemned Saturday Daesh attacks on predominantly Assyrian Christian villages in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakah, where the group is thought to have kidnapped dozens civilians.

Islamic State of Iraq and Levant or Daesh, the Arabic acronym for the terrorist group, kidnapped 90 Assyrian Christians from the villages of Tal Hormoz and Tal Shamiram near Tal Tamr town in Hasakah, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The abduction came in the aftermath of Daesh attacks Monday in which it seized control of Tal Tamr town’s al-Aghibash, Tal Hormoz, Tal Shamiram, Tal Nasri and Kasr Toma villages.

Turkey’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tanju Bilgic released a statement on Saturday, demanded the immediate release of those kidnapped.

“This grave incident is another example of Daesh terror and the unrelieved grief of Syrian people caused by Syrian regime,” Bilgic said. “Turkey will continue to support all parties forming the Syrian people without any discrimination.”

Clashes between Daesh and local forces are reportedly continuing.