The victims were Dr. Abdulmasih Azaria Noya from Tel Jazira, Ashur Piro Abraham from Tel Jazira, and Bassam Issa Michael from Tel Shamiram.
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The three men were among the hundreds of Assyrians taken hostage during the ISIS assault on the Khabur region on 23 February 2015. Their execution, which took place after the villages had been recaptured from ISIS, was recorded and released by the group on 23 September of that year.
The anniversary has become a day of remembrance for the victims and a reminder of the fate of the Assyrian families who were held captive for months.
Seven Months in Captivity
ISIS launched its attack on Khabur in February 2015. The assault targeted communities that had developed along the river after Assyrian refugees fleeing earlier persecution and massacres settled in the region in 1933 under French protection.
According to a 2026 report compiled by the Khabur Committee, the region was home to 36 Assyrian villages stretching along approximately 30 kilometers of the river before the Syrian conflict. The communities had established churches, schools, agricultural livelihoods, and cultural institutions, with the Assyrian language playing a central role in daily life.
The ISIS offensive forced thousands of residents from their homes. The group managed to take 259 hostages, according to the Khabur Committee. Those taken captive included women, children, and the elderly, as well as entire families.
The three men remembered on Wednesday remained in captivity for approximately seven months.
After ISIS lost control of the Khabur villages, the group took the three hostages into the desert and shot them in the head. A video released by the organization showed their execution, while three other hostages appeared kneeling behind them.
The surviving captives were reportedly forced to witness the killings. ISIS used the executions and the threat of further deaths to pressure the Assyrian community into paying ransoms for the release of those still held.
Church members and Assyrian communities in Syria and abroad organized fundraising efforts to meet the demands. The remaining hostages were subsequently released in several groups, although not everyone taken during the attack survived.
The deaths of the three men remain among the most painful episodes associated with the Khabur kidnappings.
Struggle to Preserve Khabur's Future
More than a decade after the attack, the Khabur villages continue to bear the consequences of war and displacement. The region is still pocked with damaged churches, deteriorating buildings, and homes whose owners have not returned. The region's demographic decline has also raised concerns about the future of its historic Assyrian presence.
Local forces, including the Assyrian Military Council, now dissolved since the integration agreement between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and central Syrian government, played a role in the campaign to defend and recover Assyrian villages from ISIS. The MFS had emphasized the continuing need for security, reconstruction, and political guarantees for the community.
The Khabur Committee has called for the rebuilding of churches, restoration of water and electricity networks, the reopening of roads and support for families wishing to return. It has also urged recognition of the crimes committed against the community and accountability for those responsible.
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