Mosul, Iraq (AINA) -- On October 4 Ivan Enwia Younadam, 15, was standing in front of his home in Mosul, near the Alzhara mosque, when three men approached him and shot him at point blank range. Ivan was killed immediately. He was buried on October 12 in his village, Nahla.

Ivan is one of 13 Assyrians killed in the last three weeks in Mosul. The killings and threats have caused 15,000 Assyrians to flee the city into the Nineveh Plain, a region that is predominantly Assyrian (AINA 10-16-2008).

Iraqi police have arrested six men in connection with the case (AINA 10-17-2008), but no further information has been provided and no motive has been given. Some Iraqi officials have accused the Kurds of orchestrating the attacks (AINA 10-17-2008).