ISIS has now reportedly captured at least 220 Syrian Christians

ISIS has abducted at least 220 Assyrian Christians

(Image credit: Twitter/@euronews)

published 26 February 2015

Since Monday, Islamic State militant have abducted at least 220 people from a string of Assyrian Christian villages in Syria's northeastern Hassakeh province, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Thursday. "ISIS now controls 10 Christian villages," Observatory head Rami Abdulrahman told Reuters. "They have taken the people they kidnapped away from the villages and into their territory."

The ISIS offensive has sent Assyrian villagers fleeing to the province's major towns, which are being defended by Kurdish fighters. The fate of the Christian hostages and their location is not known. ISIS has not acknowledged the abductions. Assyrian Christians trace their lineage to ancient Mesopotamia.

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.