Syrian Christian gunmen deploy against Turkey-backed advance
A Kurdish-led force says Christian fighters
will now oversee security in a northern Syrian region that has witnessed
fighting between Turkey-backed fighters and Kurdish-led militiamen.
The Syrian Democratic Forces said Saturday
that the deployment will take place in villages close to the town of Tal Tamr
in the Khabur river region. That area is home to Syria’s dwindling Christian
Syriac and Assyrian communities.
Turkish-backed fighters have been advancing in
the area since last month, leading to the displacement of about 200,000 people.
There have been concerns in Christian villages
about possible atrocities by Turkey-backed fighters, which include former
jihadists.
The SDF said it’s deploying the Syriac Military
Council and Assyrian fighters in the Khabur river region. Both groups are part
of the SDF.
