Sadad (Agenzia Fides) - The bodies of thirty Christian civilians have been found in two separate mass graves, including women and children, killed by Islamist militias in the city of Sadad. And, altogether, the Christian civilians killed in a small town halfway between Homs and Damascus are 45. This is what the Syrian Orthodox Patriarchate in Damascus reported to Fides. The city of Sadad, a Christian settlement, was invaded and occupied by Islamist militias on October 21 and was recaptured in recent days by the Syrian regular army. When the representatives of the Patriarchate and the families of the victims returned to town they found to their horror two mass graves, where they found the bodies of their relatives and friends. In an atmosphere of grief, outrage and emotion, the funerals of the thirty Christians were celebrated by Archbishop Selwanos Boutros Alnemeh, Syriac Orthodox Metropolitan of Homs and Hama, who provided Fides the list of victims.

According to eyewitnesses, many of the civilians were killed by militia gangs of "Al- Nusra Front" and "Daash". The city is now completely destroyed and looted. Some of the militants who invaded the city were holed up in the Syriac Orthodox Church of St. Theodore, which was profaned. Sadad is an ancient Syriac village which dates back to 2000 B.C. located in the region of Qalamoon, north of Damascus, with its churches, temples, historic landmarks and archaeological sites. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 31/10/2013)