ISIS Attack on Two Villages in Syria Leaves Over 50 Dead

Human rights activists in Syria reported that the group known as the "Islamic State" or ISIS killed more than 50 people in an attack on two villages controlled by government forces in the country. On Thursday, May 17, the French news agency AFP quoted the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights as saying that the ISIS attack on the villages of al-Mabouja and Aqareb, located in the eastern Hama province, occurred at sunrise, resulting in the deaths of 15 civilian residents and 27 pro-Assad militia members. Additionally, 10 other bodies were left from this attack, whose identities are currently unknown, and it is unclear whether they were from the local villagers or pro-Assad militants. According to Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, at least three of the military victims were executed with knives, two of whom were children. The village of al-Mabouja was also targeted by ISIS about fourteen months ago, during which 37 civilians were executed and at least 50 others were kidnapped, half of whom were women. The population of this village includes both Sunni Muslims and members of the Ismaili sect and the Alawite community to which Bashar al-Assad belongs. The report states that ISIS was able to take control of part of al-Mabouja and all of Aqareb during the Thursday morning attacks. Rami Abdulrahman told AFP that although reinforcements have been sent to repel ISIS's assault on these two villages, government forces have not yet been able to make any progress. Currently, Hama province is divided among government forces, rebels, and ISIS, with ISIS controlling most of the eastern areas of the province. Meanwhile, UN efforts to mediate between the rebels and the Bashar al-Assad government continue, with the latest development being an agreement on Thursday to form expert committees to address issues related to the Syrian constitution. Drafting a new constitution is one of four issues discussed in recent negotiations between the Syrian government and its opponents in Geneva. The other three issues include the type of government and combating terrorism.