ISIS Captures 150 Syrian Christians in Pre-Dawn Raids

Assyrian Christian villagers from Syria’s far northeast are reporting a new ISIS offensive, with pre-dawn raids leading to reports that ISIS had kidnapped at least 150 people.

Initial reports from the rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 90 were abducted, though Christian officials later revised the number upward. The captured included women and the elderly.

Syrian officials say they believe the push into the Christian villages was a response to their failure to take Kobani, further to the west, and to get back into the trend of expanding their territory.

Large numbers of the Christians from those villages are now fleeing to Hasakeh, which is still under control of Syrian Kurdish factions. Hasakeh Province has been under some pressure from ISIS, however, and might be even more-so with the focus shifting off of Kobani.