U.S. Demands IS Release Kidnapped Assyrian Christians

The United States has condemned militants of the radical Islamist group Islamic State (IS) "in the strongest possible terms" for attacking Assyrian Christian villages in Syria and abducting civilians "including women, children, priests, and the elderly."

In a statement on February 24, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said IS's "latest targeting of a religious minority is only further testament to its brutal and inhumane treatment of all those who disagree with its divisive goals and toxic beliefs."

She spoke after activists said IS militants abducted dozens of people from villages they raided in northeastern Syria at dawn on February 23.

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