The abductions took place early February 24, as ISIL raiders attacked Syrian villages near the town Tel Hmar, a mainly Assyrian town located near the predominantly Kurdish-held city of Hasaka. The total number of captives has been put at 90, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The people who have been abducted belong to an ancient Christian minority located in the village of Tel Shamiram. Militants massacred dozens of people in the assault, while hundreds more have abandoned their homes and are seeking refuge in the nearby regions.
Tel Shamiram and other nearby villages were attacked on February 23 by ISIL militants, who have been vying for control of the nearby city of Hasaka for past two months.
The attack on the Christian villages reportedly coincided with an offensive by Syrian Kurds against ISIL, conducted in the area since Sunday.
