By Dilsoz Youssef
HASAKAH, Syria (North Press) – Nine years ago, the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked Christian villages situated along the banks of the Khabur River in northern Hasakah Governorate, northeastern Syria. Although ISIS has been ousted for years, fear still haunts Jamila Kako, who was among 230 other Assyrians captured by ISIS at the time.
Kako along with a crowd of Christians gathered in the Church hall in the town of Tel Tamr town, northeastern Syria, to remember the ISIS attack. Kako, 40, recalled what she went through during that time. “ISIS captured us, including men, elders, women and children, with the intent of carrying out bloodshed.”
ISIS launched a fierce attack on Tel Tamr on Feb. 23, 2015, before being driven out by fighters of the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) after about three months of battles.
The attack resulted in the killing of several Assyrians, the destruction of 11 churches, and the displacement of thousands of residents from their homes. Eventually, ISIS released the hostages, including Kako, in batches after several months in exchange for large ransoms.
Under the slogan ‘From Sayfo and Simele to Khabur, our resistance remains and continues,’ Assyrian and Syriac parties commemorated on Friday evening the ninth anniversary of that attack.
Kako, a member of the Assyrian Democratic Party, recounted the attack, saying, “It was a horrifying day that left deep scars in our memories, particularly for the children and the elderly. We never expected such a tragedy to befall our neighbors and families, let alone our own abduction and the subsequent uncertainty about our fate.”
“Our fears persist, and we still do not feel secure. The threat continues to loom over the Assyrian villages on the banks of the Khabur River,” she told North Press.
Following the attack, the number of Assyrians in northeastern Syria dwindled to a few hundred, down from an estimated 25,000 people before the Syrian war, according to statistics issued by Assyrians.
Kako emphasized that the attack resulted in the displacement of Assyrians from their villages, describing it as “a second Simele massacre.”
In 1933, the Iraqi army, led by Brigadier General Bakr Sidqi, committed the Simele Massacre in which thousands of Assyrians were killed.
Referring to the ISIS attack, Kako noted that it was done with the aim of displacing the Assyrian community from this region. Nowadays, only a minority of them remains in these villages, as the majority has either migrated or moved to safer areas.
Gabriel Moshe, head of the Assyrian Democratic Organization, stated that they held this event to convey several messages. “We call for security, peace, and stability, as well as the creation of conditions for the return of residents of villages on the banks of the Khabur River to their homeland. We must work together in cooperation and partnership with all national powers present in this region.”
Moshe stressed the Syriac-Assyrian people’s demand for their legitimate rights, including constitutional recognition of their communities and national identity, within a unified Syria, both in terms of territory and people.
The Assyrian organization is coordinating with officials from the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES) to address displacement and security concerns. In addition, it maintains communication channels with the U.S.-led Global Coalition, emphasizing the need for reconstructing their villages.