MESOP SHORT CUTS : ISIS Abduct Hundreds of Civilians in North Syria / Arabs & Kurds

Aranews – 2015-02-16 09:14 GMT – Urfa, Turkey — Over the past five days, the Islamic State group (IS/ISIS) has abducted more than 200 civilians in the cities of al-Bab and Manbij, in the western countryside of Aleppo, in northern Syria, military sources reported.Among the abductees were Kurds as well as Arabs. Speaking to ARA News on the phone, Ahmed Hisso, the spokesman of al-Akrad Front brigade (linked to the Free Syrian Army “FSA”) confirmed the IS kidnapping of about 250 civilians from the countryside of Manbij, and 100 civilians from al-Bab countryside, including women and children.

“There were lawyers, doctors, and school teachers among the abductees,” Hisso said, adding that some of them are identified as members of Shekho and Batran families.”The reasons behind the abductions are intelligence reports made by supporters of the group in the area, fearing the advancement by the Kurdish forces,” said Hisso. “Also, IS fears that locals provide confidential information about the group to the Kurdish forces, and to avenge the death of hundreds of members in Kobane’s battles.”Hisso also pointed out that the abductions carried out by the radicals aim to terrorize civilians and eliminate all forms of sympathy towards the Kurdish fighters and FSA rebels.Reporting by Redwan Bizar