The Suraye villages of Tel Tawil and Umm Waghfa in Khabur Region of North and East Syria face displacement and Turkish bombing

KHABUR REGION, Syria – When the Islamic State (ISIS) attacked the Khabur Valley in 2015, it kidnapped and killed civilians and desecrated their sanctuaries.

The Suraye villages of Tel Tawil and Umm Waghfa in the Khabur Region of the Democratic Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria, despite displacement, still have enough population, including the Syriacs (Arameans-Assyrians-Chaldeans). The two village churches have been saved from terrorism. However, their doors are locked and no prayers are held. The churches are only re-opened once and a while by a man who cleans and looks after them.

Suroyo TV correspondent in the Tal Tamr Ahmed Samila conducted an interview with the village caretaker of the two churches.

“The church was established in Umm Waghfa in the 1990s. Within 5 years, we finished building it, and it was named Mor Koryakos Church,” said the villager. We have another church in Tel Tawil, named Mor Asia (Osyo) al-Hakim Church, a new church. The old church still exists as well,” he commented.

The church caretaker indicated that our Suraye people used to hold Masses on patron saint days and collect donations for the church.

“Our Suraye people here used to practice their religious rites and celebrate their religious holidays,” he added, indicating that most priests have migrated, and the few remaining ones cannot cover the prayers and Masses in all the villages.

Attempts to make the area of the Khabur Region a separate canton for the Suraye people have so far been unsuccessful.