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WASHINGTON: ARMENIAN POPULATION FLEES AS TOWN IS ATTACKED BY ISLAMIC REBELS
US Official News
April 1, 2014 Tuesday
Washington
Religious Freedom Coalition has issued the following news release:
Christian Armenian town of Kessab attacked from Turkey
KESSAB (Combined Sources) -- Asbarez newspaper reported that the
Armenian-populated town of Kessab and its surrounding villages were
the targets of three days of brutal cross-border attacks from Turkey
by al Qaeda-affiliated bands. The attacks have cost 80 lives and forced
the civilian population of the area to flee to neighboring hills.
Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kessab,
were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer
areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia.
One initial report suggested that government forces have repelled
the rebels, butlater the report was disputed.
The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekinâ~@~HIIâ~@~Hwas in contact with
Catholicos Aram I of theâ~@~HSee of the Great House ofâ~@~HCilicia
regarding the state of the Armenians in Syria and asked for the
shelling and murders to stop.
Social Democrat Hunchakian Partyâ~@~HChairman Narek Galstyan said in
a facebook post that the rebels are moving toward Latakia, where many
Armenians have found refuge.
A scene from the damage on the attack on Kessab by gunmen from Turkey
A scene from the damage on the attack on Kessab by gunmen from Turkey
In a written statement, the Armenian National Committee-International
(ANC-I) condemned the attacks and Turkey's active role in aiding
and abetting extremist groups in their targeted attacks against the
Christian and minority populations in Syria. "For months, we have
warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by
extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population
in Syria," noted the ANC-I statement. "These vicious and unprompted
attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab
are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by
neighboring Turkey."
The ANC-I called on all states with any influence in the Syrian
conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the
peaceful civilian population of Kessab, to allow them to return to
their homes in safety and security. "In the last one hundred years,
this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave
Kessab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side
of the aggressors," the organization charged.
According to news reports, the armed incursion began earlier on
Friday, with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front, Sham
al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and attacking
the Armenian civilian population of Kessab. Snipers targeted the
civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the
surrounding villages. According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers
crossed the Turkish border with Syria openly passing through Turkish
military barracks. According to Turkish media reports, the attackers
carried their injured back to Turkey for treatment.
For further information please visit:
http://www.religiousfreedomcoalition.org
US Official News
April 1, 2014 Tuesday
Washington
Religious Freedom Coalition has issued the following news release:
Christian Armenian town of Kessab attacked from Turkey
KESSAB (Combined Sources) -- Asbarez newspaper reported that the
Armenian-populated town of Kessab and its surrounding villages were
the targets of three days of brutal cross-border attacks from Turkey
by al Qaeda-affiliated bands. The attacks have cost 80 lives and forced
the civilian population of the area to flee to neighboring hills.
Some 670 Armenian families, the majority of the population of Kessab,
were evacuated by the local Armenian community leadership to safer
areas in neighboring Basit and Latakia.
One initial report suggested that government forces have repelled
the rebels, butlater the report was disputed.
The Catholicos of All Armenians Karekinâ~@~HIIâ~@~Hwas in contact with
Catholicos Aram I of theâ~@~HSee of the Great House ofâ~@~HCilicia
regarding the state of the Armenians in Syria and asked for the
shelling and murders to stop.
Social Democrat Hunchakian Partyâ~@~HChairman Narek Galstyan said in
a facebook post that the rebels are moving toward Latakia, where many
Armenians have found refuge.
A scene from the damage on the attack on Kessab by gunmen from Turkey
A scene from the damage on the attack on Kessab by gunmen from Turkey
In a written statement, the Armenian National Committee-International
(ANC-I) condemned the attacks and Turkey's active role in aiding
and abetting extremist groups in their targeted attacks against the
Christian and minority populations in Syria. "For months, we have
warned the international community of the imminent threat posed by
extremist foreign fighters against the Christian minority population
in Syria," noted the ANC-I statement. "These vicious and unprompted
attacks against the Armenian-populated town and villages of Kessab
are the latest examples of this violence, actively encouraged by
neighboring Turkey."
The ANC-I called on all states with any influence in the Syrian
conflict to use all available means to stop these attacks against the
peaceful civilian population of Kessab, to allow them to return to
their homes in safety and security. "In the last one hundred years,
this is the third time that the Armenians are being forced to leave
Kessab and in all three cases, Turkey is the aggressor or on the side
of the aggressors," the organization charged.
According to news reports, the armed incursion began earlier on
Friday, with rebels associated with Al-Qaeda's al-Nusra Front, Sham
al-Islam and Ansar al-Sham crossing the Turkish border and attacking
the Armenian civilian population of Kessab. Snipers targeted the
civilian population and launched mortar attacks on the town and the
surrounding villages. According to eyewitness accounts, the attackers
crossed the Turkish border with Syria openly passing through Turkish
military barracks. According to Turkish media reports, the attackers
carried their injured back to Turkey for treatment.
For further information please visit:
http://www.religiousfreedomcoalition.org