Two bishops who were kidnapped in northern Syria have been released, according to an association of Middle Eastern Christians. The two Orthodox bishops were reportedly kidnapped in Aleppo.
Syrian state media confirmed the kidnappings , saying the two bishops were taken by rebels while they were on a humanitarian mission. Their driver was killed during the incident.
Bishop Tony Yazigi spoke on Tuesday from the Syrian capital of Damascus, saying, “The two are on their way to the patriarchy in Aleppo. They were identified as Greek Orthodox archbishop Paul Yazigi and Syriac Orthodox archbishop Yohanna Ibrahim.”
While Syrian state media and other authorities blamed rebels for kidnapping the two bishops, Western-backed Syrian opposition fighters denied the claim.
Instead, the fighters asserted that they were working for the bishops’ release and were actively trying to find out who had taken the pair. The bishops are the most senior church figures to be caught up in the fight between Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s forces and rebel groups seeking to overthrow him.
The opposition fighters are seeking to overthrow the Assad family after four decades of their rule. The conflict in the Middle Eastern nation has killed more than 70,000 people and frightened many minority groups in the country.
The mainly Sunni Muslim rebels have gained ground in northern Syria where Salafist and Jihadist groups like the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front, have emerged. The development is a concern to many, who fear the rule of Islamist extremists.
Kidnappings have also become increasingly common in Syria as the law and order system has broken down from two years of fighting. Minority groups, like Christians, are particularly vulnerable.
Christians account for just five percent of the Syrian population. They have also remained either largely neutral or supportive of the regime since the conflict broke out two years ago. However, the Syrian opposition also includes prominent Christian members like George Sabra.
It is unclear yet why the two bishops were kidnapped in Syria.
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