Picture: The Orthodox Church News Service
Rebel forces massacred 45 Christians in the west-central Syrian town of Sadad, according to Syrian Orthodox Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh.
Islamist rebels entered the town on October 21; a week later, it was captured by government forces.
“What happened in Sadad is the most serious and biggest massacre of Christians in Syria in the past two years and a half,” said the prelate, according to the Fides news service. “45 innocent civilians were martyred for no reason, and among them several women and children, many thrown into mass graves. Other civilians were threatened and terrorized. 30 were wounded and 10 are still missing.”
“Some were killed and some were threatened by the bullet, by strangulation, execution and with the destruction of their houses,” the prelate added, according to a report by OCP Media News, an Orthodox news agency.