ISLAMIC STATE RELEASES 19 ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS:MONITOR

The monitor said hundreds of Christian hostages are still in the hands of Daesh. (AFP/Louai Beshara) — **The monitor said hundreds of Christian hostages are still in the hands of Daesh.** (AFP/Louai Beshara)

London, 12 Jumadil Awwal 1436/3 March 2015 (MINA) – The Islamic State (IS) or ISIS armed group released 19 Assyrian Christians on Sunday after its court exonerated the captives, a monitoring group told Reuters.

AFP reported a ransom was paid for their release, a fee that IS considers tax for non-Muslims, Albawaba News quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The fighters group is still holding more than 200 Christians captive, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Assyrian Network for Human Rights didn’t tell AFP how much was paid for releasing the hostages but said in November, Daesh accepted $1,700 per person for Assyrians.

IS abducted the Syrians during an advance of over a dozen villages in the northeastern part of the country last month, Reuters reported.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 17 of those released were men and two of them women. (T/P001/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)