Assyrian cemetery vandalized in Tel Masses, Khabur River Valley

TEL MASSES, North and East Syria — On the morning of 17 March 2025, residents of the Assyrian village of Tel Massas, North and East Syria, in the Khabur River Valley, woke up to a scene of vandalism and destruction in the local cemetery. The local branch of the Assyrian Democratic Party (ADP) reported that graves and crosses in the village cemetery, sacred ground for generations of Assyrians, had been vandalized. Broken crosses were strewn across the graveyards, some tombstones defaced.

The ADP press release states that the perpetrators have not yet been found and that local residents are awaiting the ongoing investigation.

Old Fears Resurface

The Assyrian community in the Khabur has been through a lot, and this act has stirred up old feelings and fears. In 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) stormed the Assyrian villages of Khabur, kidnapping more than 200 men, women, and children, executing many, and forcing thousands to flee. Churches were burned, crosses torn down, and cemeteries destroyed.

Later, the changing tides of war displaced families elsewhere in Syria and brought new power struggles to the region. The Syrian Civil War had displaced millions, and in the chaos, new communities had taken root in places they once had no claim to. In towns like Tel Tamer, Arab families from Edleb (Idlib), Holeb (Aleppo), Dayro Zcuro (Deir ez-Zor), and Raqqa have settled, fleeing the devastation of their own homes.

Over the years, the demographics of the Khabur region have shifted dramatically. Once an Assyrian stronghold, the villages have seen a steady influx of newcomers, particularly from areas once controlled by Islamist factions or the Syrian government.