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QAMISHLI, Syria - Christian residents in northeast Syria’s (Rojava) Qamishli say concerns are growing over security developments following the Syrian Arab Army’s recent attacks on the Kurdish region.
Members of the city’s Christian community told Rudaw that fears have led many to attend church more frequently.
“The Christians in this province are always in fear, because we are a people who don’t like wars, who don't like killings, we like peace, we live together [harmoniously], us and the Kurds,” said Malki Somi, a resident of Qamishli.
The Syrian Arab Army and Damascus-affiliated factions, in a large-scale offensive this month, seized large swathes of territory and key infrastructure controlled by the de facto army of Rojava - the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The clashes forced SDF units to withdraw from several areas, including Kurdish-majority neighborhoods in Aleppo, parts of Hasaka province, Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa. According to United Nations estimates, approximately 100,000 people - most of them Kurds - have been displaced by the fighting.
Somi said he has been separated from his children, who have lived abroad for several years, and expressed hope that the current tensions will not prevent him from remaining close to his extended family in Rojava.
At Syriac churches in the city, clergy said special prayers have been held for those affected by the recent violence, as well as for civilians across the region, regardless of religious affiliation.
“Shelling, war, beating, and killing worry everyone, of course, not just Christians. We hope, and today, we held a special prayer for peace throughout the world, especially in Syria,” said Father Abdulmasih Youssef, a Syriac Church priest.
Churches in Qamishli have also launched aid efforts to support displaced families in the city, with community members contributing supplies and donations.
“Truly, this situation is very, very difficult for all people. For 15 years, we endured and hoped that the situation would improve and we would be liberated, but everything turned out the opposite. The situation is a catastrophe and brings tears,” said Shmoni Abdulahad, a member of the local Christian community.
Christians, including Syriac, Armenian, and Assyrian communities, have long been part of Qamishli’s population. Their numbers, once estimated at around 40,000 before the outbreak of Syria’s civil war, are now believed to have declined by roughly half.
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