Syriac village of Armota fears renewal of Iranian bombardment

ERBIL, Iraq — Activists from the Syriac village of Armota in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI) recounted some of the tragedies of the villagers as a result of the brutal Iranian bombardment of the area.

Despite the cessation of the Iranian bombing of northern Iraq, the people of the Syriac village of Armota, located west of Koysanjak in Erbil Governorate, still live in fear of renewed bombing.

During the Iranian bombardment of the area, the people of the village were forced to leave their homes. They remained outside the village for two weeks, even after the bombing stopped.

Despite their recent return, fear remains due to the presence of the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran (KDPI) in the vicinity of the village, in addition to an Iranian Kurdish refugee camp, both of which were subjected to intense bombardment.

Activists from the village said that the village’s houses were severely damaged as a result of the bombing and the children unable to attend school.

The activists added that the village has been evacuated several times due to Iranian bombing of Koysanjak and other cities over the years.

Armota is a symbol of peaceful coexistence in the KRI, where Chaldean–Syriac–Assyrian people have been living in peace with Muslims for more than 90 years. Until the 1930s, the village was completely Christian. There are now approximately 20 Muslim families in the village.