25 Christian Hostages Released by ISIS; 130 Khabur Assyrians Remain Captured

Twenty-five Christians from a large group of Assyrians kidnapped from the Khabur river valley earlier this year have been released, marking progress in negotiations with the Islamic State terror group.

Fides News Agency revealed that the hostages, all men and including two young boys, were released on Wednesday following negotiations, and reached the town of Tel Tamar in Syria.

The newly released Assyrians belong to a group of over 250 that were kidnapped during major raids by IS militants in February. Talks with IS for their release have been going on since, and pockets of Christians have been released throughout the year. Another group of 10 Christians, mostly elderly people, were released on Nov. 24, but overall close to 130 hostages remain in captivity.

The Assyrian International News Agency confirmed the news, and posted in an update: “All of the hostages are men, two of them boys aged 7 and 9. The hostages are in good health. They arrived in Tel Tamer in the morning.”

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