ASIA/SYRIA - Three Christian villages in Khabur turned into training camps of Kurdish militias

Saturday, 6 February 2016

Aina.com

Hassake (Agenzia Fides) - The militias of the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have set up three training camps in as many villages of the Khabur valley, previously inhabited by Assyrian Christians, fled en masse from their homes last February, before the offensive of the jihadists of the Islamic State (Daesh). According to sources belonging to the Assyrian community, the largest training camp was placed in the village of Tel Nasri. The Kurdish militia, trained by Russian military personnel, occupied the houses abandoned by Christians. Only 4 or 5 of the 180 Christian families in Tel Nasri had returned to their homes after the jihadists of Daesh had withdrawn from the Khabur valley.
The YPG militias represent the military arm of the Kurdish Democratic Union (PYD), the Kurdish party that represents the Syrian branch of the PKK. YPG leaders have assured that the villages will be occupied only for the time needed for training, but what prevails in the local Assyrian community is the impression that this promise will not be fulfilled in a short period of time. (GV) (Agenzia Fides 06/02/2016)


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