Islamic State militants kidnap 90 Assyrian Christians
Islamic State militants kidnapped at least 90 people from Assyrian Christian villages during raids in northeastern Syria, activists said Tuesday, the Voice of America reported.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors violence in Syria, said the militants abducted people after seizing Tal Shamiram and other Assyrian villages in Hassakeh province.
The kidnappings follow clashes in the area Monday between Kurdish fighters and the Islamic State group. The Kurds launched an offensive in the region near the Iraqi border on Sunday with support from the U.S.-led coalition conducting airstrikes against the militants.
The U.S. military said 11 airstrikes Sunday in Hassakeh hit Islamic State tactical units, vehicles and a militant bunker.