The kidnapping of dozens of Assyrian Christians by the Islamic State jehadis group in Syria has prompted an exodus of terrified families fleeing their homes, activists said on Wednesday. The United States condemned the mass abduction of Christians — the first of its kind in the war-torn country— and demanded the release of the 90 hostages.
Nearly 1,000 Assyrian Christian families have fled their villages in the northeastern province of Hasakeh since Monday’s kidnappings, said Osama Edward, director of the Sweden-based Assyrian Human Rights Network.