DER ZOR, Syria—The Armenian Genocide Martyrs Memorial Church in Der Zor, also known as the Holy Martyrs Armenian Church, has been severely damaged as a result of shelling, as revealed by video footage taken by locals and shared on YouTube Saturday.
The lower level of the museum and memorial, where the remains of victims of the Armenian Genocide are kept, seems to be in ruins as well. It is unclear from the footage whether they were removed prior to the attacks.
Der Zor has witnessed clashes between the rebels and the Syrian Army since the beginning of the armed conflict in the country. The few Armenian families living in the city left months ago.
Hundreds of thousands of Armenian deportees were massacred in Der Zor in the summer of 1916.
The memorial was consecrated in 1991.
Spokesperson for the Armenian Prelacy in Aleppo Jirair Reyisian said tensions continued in and around Aleppo, which have causes severe material damage, but there were no casualties.
He said that four to five bombs fell near and around the Syriac St. Theotokos Church in the Villaner neighborhood, while one bomb fell in the New Village suburb of Aleppo. No casualties were reported, according to Reyisian but buildings and vehicles in the vicinity were damaged.
The Prelacy spokesperson also added that there was no new information about the fate of those kidnapped on October 29 en-route from Beirut to Aleppo.
Reyisian did announce that the third shipment of humanitarian aid from Armenia, under the auspices of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation-led “Help Your Brother” campaign, had already arrived and was being distributed among Armenian and non-Armenian residents in and around Aleppo.
Get out while you can. Syria is not our home. No matter how long, sooner or later you must move or integrate. Since integration means changing your cultural identity and/or religion, might as well leave when you’re still alive!
This footage makes my heart cry.
These animals have no regards even for the dead. What can one say? It’s appaulling how the so called democratic countries allow these violent acts to carry on with their full blessings and support. This is simply outrages!