SYRIA: Students stranded in Holeb (Aleppo) return home to Zalin (Qamishli) amid joy and questions about future

ZALIN, North and East Syria — With tears of joy and heartfelt embraces, hundreds of families gathered in Zalin (Qamishli), North and East Syria, to welcome their children home from Holeb (Aleppo). The reunion followed recent developments which have seen the city fall under control of Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA).

Approximately 200 Syriac, Assyrian, and Armenian students, previously stranded in Holeb, arrived safely in Zalin on Tuesday evening. The scene at Zalin’s bus terminal was one of collective relief and celebration, as residents and clergy from all Christian denominations in the canton came together to receive the students.

The successful evacuation was largely attributed to the efforts of the Syriac Orthodox Archdiocese in Holeb, led by Archbishop Mor Boutros Kassis. Residents expressed profound gratitude to the Archbishop through Syriac Press, acknowledging his role in ensuring the students’ safe return.

Families also thanked the Izla Transport Company, which facilitated the evacuation despite significant risks. Just days earlier, an Izla bus carrying students narrowly avoided disaster when it was struck by shells from an unknown source near the Al-Manara rest stop after departing Holeb. The driver’s assistant was injured, and the students endured artillery shelling and sniper fire as they fled the city.

The takeover of Holeb by HTS on 27 November has sparked deep concerns about the fate of Christians in the city. Social media footage has already emerged showing the destruction of a Christmas tree in a Christian neighborhood on the first day of HTS control, raising fears about how the group might treat Christian residents and their heritage.