Islamic rebels in Syria fired rockets at a Christian neighborhood in Aleppo, the nation’s largest city, on the night of April 10-11. As efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Aleppo collapsed, Christians in the city reported that the Syrian regime might be preparing to pull back, leaving the city vulnerable to the forces of the Islamic State.
The attack left massive destruction in the eastern section of the Sulaymaniyah district of Aleppo, which is predominantly Assyrian and Armenian. By now, approximately 40 people, mostly Assyrians — including women and children — have been killed. Among those killed was Micheal Abaji, 53, who was the supervisor of the St. Elias Assyrian Catholic Monastery for the elderly in Aleppo.
Shells also targeted the Aziziyah neighborhood near the Ata’a Square, next to the Assyrian Catholic Cathedral, injuring three civilians.
“Our Easter feast has turned to grief,” a woman religious in Aleppo said: “Some people woke up to find themselves without a home and others did not see the life died under the rubble because they were victims of violence.”