The United States condemns "in the strongest possible terms" the attacks by ISIL on predominantly Assyrian Christian villages in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakeh, where they kidnapped dozens of civilians including women, children, priests and the elderly, the State Department said on Tuesday night.
Hundreds of other civilians remain trapped in villages surrounded by Daesh fighters, and clashes continue between Daesh and local forces defending their communities, said the statement from department spokeswoman Jen Psaki.
"ISIL burned and destroyed homes and churches, and the violence has reportedly displaced more than 3,000 people," she said. "We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the civilians taken captive yesterday and of all those held by Daesh." Daesh's latest targeting of a religious minority is only further testament to its brutal and inhumane treatment of all those who disagree with its divisive goals and toxic beliefs, Psaki said.
"ISIL continues to exact its evil upon innocents of all faiths, and the majority of its victims have been Muslims," she said. "People of all faiths and many religious leaders throughout the region have united in condemning ISIL's depravity, including its mass killings, rape, sexual enslavement, lashing, stoning, crucifixion, torture and public murders of hostages." "Tragically, Syrians are threatened not only by Daesh's grotesque violence and repressive ideology, but also by the Assad regime's unrelenting campaign of terror," Psaki said. "The regime has recently intensified its airstrikes and barrel bombing of Aleppo and continues to besiege the Damascus suburbs of Eastern Ghouta and Douma, cutting off humanitarian aid from those in need." The UN Commission of Inquiry reaffirmed the deteriorating situation last week, noting in its latest report that the Syrian people continue to suffer from the Assad regime's airstrikes, barrel bombings, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence and murder, she said, adding, "Like Daesh, the Assad regime is showing its complete disregard for human life through these crimes." "To bring an end to these daily horrors, we remain committed to leading the international coalition to degrade and defeat Daesh and to working toward a negotiated political solution that stops the bloodshed and secures a future of freedom, justice and dignity for all Syrians," Psaki said.