LATAKIA, Syria–Sources in and around the mainly-Armenian-populated town of Kessab indicate that the rebel and al Qaeda-affiliated militants, who seized the town in March through the Turkish border, have withdrawn from Kessab.
The Aleppo-based Gandzasar newspaper is reporting that Syrian army forces have advance onto the city square and now control more than two-thirds of the strategic town.
Most fighters from Al-Nusra and the other rebel groups pulled out, “leaving behind only a small number” of men, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
Troops loyal to President Bashar Assad’s regime sent tanks to nearby villages, signaling an imminent army advance on the border town.
Activists confirmed the account, adding the rebel fighters and the Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian al-Qaida affiliate, withdrew to rebel strongholds in the Jabal al-Akrad area.
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Turkey has been helping terrorism. It must be made responsible for what they did in Kessab and other places.
Hallelujah…
If I understand the report correctly, the rebels withdrew voluntarily. If that is the case, then perhaps the US or Turkey pressured them to leave. In other words, it was not as bad as it was initially reported. The rebels were not there to simly slaughter and pillage the village.
Hratch Do you really beleive what you write? Perhaps US and Turkey pressured them to leave? did you just land from Mars Planet or what? then please when rebels withdraw voluntarilly, why they do not withraw from Rakka, Hassakeh and , Deir Zor too? ? they have been under attack by Syrian Army lion fighters since days. Please open your eyes first and your mind later and stop beleiving to CNN and affiliated Anti Armenian corporated Media…
My guess is that they have not withdrawn from those places because they are strategically more important. Kessab must have been a liability.
It seems that their goal was not to simply expel the Armenians. If that were the case, then their objective would have been accomplished and they would not have had the need to withdraw. In other words, there is more to this story than the simple ideas that are being floated around. Since we don’t know what is really going on, it would be best to keep our mouths shut and stay under the radar. We don’t need to make further enemies by misinterpreting the situation.
You’re true loyalty is exposed just by you’re lexicon of ‘lion fighters’…….this really has nothing to do with the well being of the Armenian community is it?
Instead of propagating the repatriation of our people to their rightful lands, you’re more concerned with the victories on the ‘lion fighter’…………
You shameless sellout. The US created the chaos in Syria. The US also hates Armenians and quite frankly makes deals with our enemies. How can you support a pro turk nation that continuously f-s over our people constantly?
Naive comment. This is not a matter of hate. It is about self interest. It is about every nation pursuing the advancement of its own interests. There is no good or bad guy. Have you ever heard the saying “politics makes strange bedfellows” ?
Instead of being the victim all the time, why don’t we work on creating the conditions to have influence and power in the region. Then you will really see how many ‘friends’ will come out of the woodwork !
You understand nothing about politic Yes There is a hatered From world policy makers if you di not know that you Are naive not the comment
“The rebels were not there to simly slaughter and pillage the village.”
Really? Why were they there, to have tea and cookies? Perhaps you don’t have the slightest clue what happened in Kessab, which means you are out of touch with Armenian communities. In all the homes, nothing is left, and most are severely damaged and all the Armenian families which have been living and working there for generations have lost their means of making a living, and now all must start over again. Had the Armenians not had an evacuation plan, they would have all been taken hostage and worse, massacred. Your post is very insulting. If you are an ‘Armenian’ – you are a very lousy one.
This is happening during wartime. There is no evidence of pogroms or slaughters aimed at the Armenians. We are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You conveniently overlook the fact that the whole of Syria is burning. There is over 165,000 dead. It is not just an Armenian tragedy.
We fail to see the forest through the trees. All I’m trying to point out is that we do not need to start taking sides because this is not our fight. We will surely pay ten fold once the dust settles.
Hratch;
Syria is not at war. Syria is being invaded by jihadis takfiri wahabis, from over 40 countries including Azerbaijan to fight under the guise of a holy war. But what they really are is a proxy army for Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Turkey and USA.
Syrians are for Syrians and for your information the town of Kessab was liberated by the Syrian Arab Army with a Civilian Defense League with mostly non Armenians. Many came from as far away as Lebanon to help libertate the town because it was the right thing to do.
Look further at who stands to benefit – pull up gas pipelines and prospective ones. Israel is getting into the oil business, their lobbying has been touting the Turkish Cypriots in DC for off shore drilling off the coast of Syria to supply Europe. Israel also propped up a fake government called the Kurdistan Regional Government. The KRG has their own oil business department, parliament and militia. Last week the first oil export to Israel was completed.
They all want a piece of the Iraq, Syria, Iran alliance and tried to make a sectarian divide in Syria but it didn’t work. Syrians are way too united. So now it’s about creating chaos. Iraq is easier to divide. Many believe it will be a shatter belt.
Most likely the assault on Armenian neighborhoods in Aleppo is also not intended directly for us. We are probably just caught between the fighting factions. Therefore, we must not have knee jerk reactions and start taking sides, which also means not waving Syrian flags during April 24 protests. The ultimate winner must not see us as collaborators.
you know what Hratch you are really a great thinker may be also we were not victims of the Genocide we died as many others during world war I from starvation turks tried to give us food and water but Turks and Kurds and Circassians, and non ghavurs basically did not have enough bread to everybody no? Man please be descent. Destroying Nor Koogh the Churches the school is not accidental targetting Deir Ez Zor Monumernt is not accidental it is our Aushwitz i say our cause i still beleive you are an Armenian, eventhough your words are in contrast with your name. obliging only the Armenians in Rakka to pay the Jeziah islamic Taxe is not accidental… do you need more get informed you can today if you want, and do it before saying void words.
How self-centered we must be to believe that the rebels are in fact directing their whole war efforts against a minority who constitute no more that .05% of the total population. Truth be told, I don’t even think they know we’re alive!
By making noise and taking sides, we’re only attracting negative attention. Since Syria is not our homeland, there is no reason to get involved. Armenia and Artsakh are desperately in need of people to tend the land and protect the borders. But in our infinite wisdom, we rather stay in a place where we don’t belong, get robbed, killed and pillaged and then complain that we are not being protected? How crazy and naive is that. The fact is that we are mired in a victim mentality. We would rather cry and scream rather than do the right thing and build our future with our two hands and in our native lands. Pathetic !
*Correction 0.5%
Talk about yourself according to’ me you Are not an Armenian your name hratch must be’ face you think and write like a turk
Thanks to Syrian Arab Army if it was for Armenians Kessab would have had the same fate of Western Armenia, oh sorry eastern turkey anatolia, I feel ashamed of being Armenian where are our modern day Nejdehs, our Aram Manookians, our Dros? They are all word sellers now…
They’ve been forced to Russia’s peripheries because the Armenian government finds their presence in the country to be a threat to their unchecked oligarchy.
We are our worst enemy !
We would rather praise and rely on the Russian and Syrian armies than our own. History repeats itself every so often, but the tragedy is that we don’t seem to learn anything from it each time.
I hope now Armenians living in Kessab will safe.
Guys, it is the ISLAMIC PIPELINE and the Syrian-Lebanese potential Mediterranean oil fields which are associated with Super powers and their allies strategic and economical interests. Kassab and Aleppo are one of those.
Do you think also Mossul Armenian Church is like kessab and Aleppo? How can not you see evidences before your eyes all Armenian placet Are singled out and targeted Turkey and Azerbaijan Are behind all this . Continue to’ put your head unger the knife of your enemy and when they CUT your troat you say it was not him it was the faune of an earthquake that mo’ ed the head unger the knife and the troad was CUT ajajaj that is your logic! And USA media justification they eat the grass and think We Are the donkeys
I am so glad and surprised to see we have so many politicians. Stop insulting each other. One thing we should have learned by now, odarneren chga houis. Let us say this ten times a day and be mishd badrasd for anything. In the meantime, let us be grateful to our hosts, no matter what, until we are all, including the renegades, gathered in our Motherland.