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US Condemns Killing of Two Women by IS in Syria

Sirwan Kajjo

   The United States has condemned the killings of two local female
   officials who were recently kidnapped by militants affiliated with the
   Islamic State (IS) terror group innortheastern Syria.

   The U.S. Embassy in Syria said Thursday that it "was deeply saddened to
   learn of the deaths of Seda al-Faisal al-Hermas and Hind Latif
   al-Khidr."

   "We condemn their murder by Daesh terrorists and offer sincere
   condolences to their families," the embassy said in a tweet, using an
   Arabic acronym for IS.

     The US was deeply saddened to learn of the deaths of Seda al-Faisal
     al-Hermas and Hind Latif al-Khidr, two brave Syrian women who
     devoted their lives to serving their communities. We condemn their
     murder by Da'esh terrorists and offer sincere condolences to their
     families.
     -- U.S. Embassy Syria (@USEmbassySyria) [1]January 28, 2021

   The U.S. Embassy in Damascus suspended its operations in 2012 following
   a Syrian government crackdown on protesters during the early days of
   the country's civil war. The embassy, however, maintains contact with
   the Syrian public through social media.

   Hermas and Khidr reportedly were kidnapped last week from their houses
   in the town of al-Dashisha, south of the city of al-Hasakah in
   northeast Syria. Witnesses told local news media that at least eight
   men, suspected to be part of an IS cell, orchestrated the kidnappings.

   Hours after their abductions, the bodies of the two women were found
   decapitated near a main road in the area, local reports said.

   Hermas was the co-chair of her town's local administrative council,
   while Khidr was a board member of the same council. The town of
   al-Dashisha was freed from IS in 2017 by U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic
   Forces (SDF).

References

   1. https://twitter.com/USEmbassySyria/status/1354841751232667650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

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