(CP) Syrian Christians in Aleppo face "grave danger" after Islamist militias took over the city, local church leaders say. The militias, including jihadist groups, have seized control following the withdrawal of government forces and are removing all Christmas decorations, according to a report.
Maronite Archbishop of Aleppo, Joseph Tobji, described the situation as being in "limbo," noting that armed groups took over after a surprise offensive, as per Agenzia Fides.
"Life here started up again. The situation was calm, but now everything is closed," Archbishop Tobji was quoted as saying.
Shops and bakeries have ceased operations, and citizens have not stocked supplies due to the lack of warning before the attacks. "Nobody warned us," Tobji said, adding that despite the lack of current attacks on Christian targets, uncertainty looms over what might happen next.
The militias have reportedly documented their takeover of Aleppo through social media.
According to Fr. Hugo Alaniz of the Institute of the Incarnate Word, almost all of Aleppo is now under militia control, with religious leaders visiting parishes to provide support. Fr. Hugo told Fides that while their church remains open, many residents, including students and elderly, have moved to other parts of the city for safety.
The Iraqi Christian Foundation reported on social media that militants had begun removing Christmas decorations and had beheaded captured soldiers. The group also called for prayers for Christians and other minorities in Aleppo.
The Switzerland-based human rights group Christian Solidarity International said in a statement that Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, previously known as Jabhat al-Nusra, had seized control of Aleppo, mirroring the Islamic State's capture of Mosul in 2014. This jihadist group's takeover has instilled fear among Aleppo's diverse religious communities, including Christians, Alawites, Shiites and non-observant Sunnis, due to HTS' history of enforcing a strict Sunni supremacist ideology with violent persecution, it noted.
The United Nations' Commission of Inquiry on Syria has documented the brutal governance of HTS, marked by executions, torture, sexual violence, and arbitrary detentions, alongside the desecration of religious sites. These actions are reminiscent of the harsh rule experienced during their previous control from 2012 to 2016.
"President Trump's special representative for Syria, Ambassador James Jeffrey, acknowledged in 2021 that HTS had been functioning covertly as an 'asset' of Washington's Middle East policy, despite its designation as a terrorist organization," said John Eibner, CSI's international president.
Shortly before election day, President-Elect Donald Trump pledged to protect persecuted Christians.
"The incoming president now has a golden opportunity to fulfill his pledge," Eibner said. "Christians and others who value religious freedom and other fundamental human rights should insist that this pre-election pledge is honored.
The U.K.-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that more than 300 people, including at least 20 civilians, have been killed since the offensive began Wednesday. The rebels, led by Islamist militant group HTS and allied factions, have taken control of Aleppo's airport and dozens of towns nearby, reported the BBC.
HTS is a significant militant presence in Syria, and its leadership of the offensive has marked this as the most notable conflict in Syria's ongoing civil war since a ceasefire was agreed in 2020.
According to the Syrian army, the attack on Aleppo involved multiple axes, covering over 100 kilometers (62 miles) of frontlines. The army reported numerous casualties among its soldiers and acknowledged that rebels now control significant portions of the city. Government forces have vowed a counterattack but provided no specific timeline.
The Russian air force conducted air strikes in Aleppo on Saturday, marking the first military intervention by Russia in the city since 2016, when it helped Syrian government forces recapture Aleppo, according to the BBC. The strikes aimed at rebel positions come as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has pledged to "defend [Syria's] stability and territorial integrity," according to a statement from his office.
